Brave New World
by Margaret Delancy
Summary: Chapter 12: Peasley's past is finally revealed! Daisy enlists in the help of Luigi to run away from her kingdom. Together, they will discover a new world different from anything either of them knew before. LuigixDaisy
1. Secret Encounter

A/N: So here it is! My first Mario fanfiction! I must confess though, I really don't know anything about the recent Mario games... I'm an old school gamer. I think the most recent games I've played aside from the Party, Karting, and Smash Bros. games would have been Luigi's Mansion and Super Mario Sunshine. So please excuse any mistakes in the story!

I don't own any characters mentioned.

Brave New World

Chapter one: Secret Encounter

* * *

"Hey Luigi-this letter just came for you from the Princess," Mario looked skeptical as he handed the letter over to his younger brother.

The Princess? Luigi was just as confused as Mario as he accepted the letter and ripped open the top. It wasn't that he didn't get along with Princess Peach; they were good friends. But that was about as far as it went. Mario was the one who she would go to if she needed anything, whether it was a vacation on some faraway island, or saving from the Koopa King. He opened the letter and read it once, then again.

_Luigi, _

_Please meet me at the castle gates at 10 o'clock tonight._

_-Daisy_

Now it made more sense; the note was from Princess Daisy.

"Well? What did it say?" Mario asked, leaning over slightly to get a better look at the note.

Luigi carefully folded up the note and stuck it in his pocket, away from Mario's prying eyes, "Princess Daisy wants me to meet her at the castle." Luigi explained. He could feel his cheeks light up as his brother patted him on the back with a grin.

"Great job little bro! So when does she want to see you?"

Luigi considered telling Mario the truth but decided against it, figuring that if Daisy wanted to see him at such a late hour that it was an important and private matter. "Tomorrow afternoon," he answered, hoping that Mario hadn't gotten a good look at the note.

"That's perfect! Maybe I'll go with you and visit Peach." Mario told him. Luigi nodded absentmindedly and made his way into the kitchen to prepare lunch, his mind preoccupied with Daisy's request.

* * *

"I cannot allow this!" The king of Sarasaland shouted again, pacing around the throne room. His Nokobon guards scurried to and fro, attempting to stay out of their king's path.

"Your Majesty, the letter you requested has been sent to Princess Daisy. She should arrive promptly." One of the guards explained to the frantic king.

He paused for a moment to stare down at the Nokobon that had spoken up before resuming his pacing. "She's had two days already; I'm sure King Toadstool would have provided adequate transportation."

His daughter's rebellion surprised him. He thought that she knew her place in the kingdom, and was prepared to run it sometime in the near future. Perhaps he had been too relaxed in raising her.

With that thought, he suddenly changed his course and headed towards the door. "Have my bags packed. If she will not come here, then I will go to her myself." That said, he stormed out of the room, leaving the stunned Nokobons to stare after him.

* * *

That night Luigi waited in bed for Mario to fall asleep. He was oddly excited about sneaking out for this secret rendezvous. Once Mario's breathing had evened out, he slowly got out of bed and crept towards the door.

"…Luigi…?" Mario's groggy voice asked from the top bunk. The younger plumber froze mid-step and turned to look back at his brother.

"M-Mario! J-Just going to the bathroom…" Luigi explained. Mario grumbled something that Luigi couldn't understand, and he took it as a sign that he could escape. He wasted no time while changing into his clothes and leaving the house.

* * *

As he walked down the dimly-lit street he let his mind wander. Why couldn't Princess Daisy wait until tomorrow to meet with him? He would have to go back to the castle now anyway after the lie that he told Mario. It was an odd time to meet, and he couldn't help but wonder if she had gotten herself into some kind of trouble again. He hoped that wasn't the case as he arrived at the gates of Princess Peach's castle.

Glancing around, he didn't spot Daisy anywhere. Maybe she had meant for him to come tomorrow? It was just like her to dash off a note and not even bother to get the time or date right. He couldn't even count the number of times she'd shown up late to a tennis match or a karting race. They would often have to reschedule events due to her impatient nature, since she tended to overlook simple facts like the time of the event.

"Luigi!"

Luigi yelped, pulled unexpectedly from his musings. He spun around to find Daisy, who came stumbling out of the bushes. She tugged her dress out of the grasp of a twig, then smiled at him.

"Princess Daisy!" Luigi exclaimed and took a step toward her to help. She waved him off, then straightened herself. Luigi noted her missing crown and gloves, and the fact that she had showed up through the bushes. Something was definitely up here, he thought warily.

"I'm so glad you came, Luigi," Daisy's voice faltered, and she paused to take a deep breath. "I need your help."

Luigi tried to find some sort of emotion on her face, but she seemed oddly stoic as she continued. "I-I don't know who else to go to. When that letter came… I… I thought that I had some sort of plan, but now, well… I don't know what to do…"

"…Look, Princess, why don't you start from the beginning? I don't understand," Luigi said gently, afraid that she might start crying. He didn't think he could handle the situation if that happened.

Whatever this was, she was obviously torn up about it. Daisy was usually so strong-willed that nothing got her down. To see her looking so frightened and lost made Luigi realize that there might be more to the princess that he thought he knew.

She seemed a bit more composed as she started again. " Yesterday I received a letter from my father. He's… he's set up an arranged marriage for me… to P-Prince Peasley!" Now she did start crying, much to Luigi's dismay. "Oh, Luigi! I don't want to marry that stupid bean prince!" She threw herself against Luigi's chest and wrapped her arms around his slender waist, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

Luigi stood frozen in the embrace, unsure of how to comfort her. He settled for awkwardly rubbing her back to try and soothe her.

"I… I'm sorry, Daisy. What can I do to help you?" He asked, his formality dropping out of concern for her. Daisy pulled away from the embrace and wiped her eyes before looking at him.

"Help me run away."

Luigi stared blankly at the Princess as she walked back to the bush that she had been hiding in. After a bit of struggling with the twigs, she managed to produce a small yellow and orange suitcase.

"I can't go back to Sarasaland… I can't marry Prince Peasly…" she explained. "So I've decided to go somewhere my father will never find me." She tossed the suitcase in Luigi's direction, and he clumsily caught it before it hit the ground. "You'll help me, won't you?"

Before he knew what he was doing, Luigi found himself nodding at the princess before him.

* * *

A/N: UPDATE: First of all, I just want to tell you all that if you're worried about the whole Peasley and Daisy plotline, don't worry! This story's nothing like Not Another Love Story. I just used that to get the story going; Peasley doesn't really have much of a role in this story at all. :P

I'm really excited about this story, and although I'm not making any promises, I hope I'll have the next chapter up soon. Any ideas you have for me will also be taken into consideration! So please review!


	2. A Place To Feel Safe

A/N: I went through these two chapters and edited some things to help it flow a bit better… And in case you were wondering, I am working on this story still! My internet is currently shut off, so it's a little hard to get on. But I have a definite plan for this story, with the help of my buddy Luigi Legends, and I should be able to get it moving again!

You already know all the disclaimer stuff, it hasn't changed.

Brave New World

Chapter two: A Place To Feel Safe

* * *

Daisy was full of adrenalin as she and Luigi walked down the dimly-lit sidewalk. She was finally taking some initiative and going out on her own, free to spend her days however she wished. She did feel slightly guilty about including Luigi in her scheme, but she knew that he had been feeling left out of Mario's adventures lately. And besides, if he really didn't want to help her, he could have easily dragged her back to the castle and contacted her father.

Even though at the moment she wasn't quite sure where they would go, or where they would stay, she had a feeling that things would work out reasonably well. After all, what fun would an adventure be if it was all planned out, right?

* * *

The Sarasaland Princess had shocked Luigi when she had slipped out of her large yellow dress right there in the street, revealing a pair of turquoise and orange shorts and a yellow t-shirt. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and snagged Luigi's cap off of his head for good measure, pulling it backwards over her own head.

"So? Do you recognize me?" Daisy asked, twirling in a quick circle for him. Luigi paused for a moment, looking at Daisy in the dim lighting of the streetlamps.

"I don't think anyone else will, at least in the dark." He replied, shifting the suitcase to his other hand.

"Alright! Let's get moving then!" Daisy exclaimed excitedly. She grabbed Luigi's free arm and tugged, but he didn't move.

"Uh… Princess? Where exactly are we going?" He questioned. And that was a great question, Daisy thought. She hadn't exactly thought her plan out this far… getting Luigi to agree was supposed to have been a lot harder than it was.

"I really have no idea…" Daisy responded truthfully, "I just wanted to get away." Luigi restrained himself from collapsing to the ground in exasperation, and instead settled for letting out a long breath of air and running a hand through his now-exposed hair.

"Well… let's just get out of Toad Town for tonight." Luigi replied, "I have a place in mind on the outskirts, and I'll come back for my things. That is…" Luigi paused and looked bashfully towards Daisy, "If I can go with you?"

The Princess immediately perked up and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Of course you can come with me!" Luigi looked relieved as he let Daisy pull him down the street. "And since we're gonna be in this together, I think it's alright if you call me Daisy. After all, I call you Luigi."

"Right. Daisy."

The pair then continued down the darkened street until the number of houses along the road grew thinner and thinner. It was here that Luigi turned down a small alleyway and ushered Daisy into the back door of a small brick building. A few Koopas glanced up at her as they entered, then quickly returned to their card game.

Daisy stared in awe at the room they had entered. It seemed to be some sort of old-fashioned club, with dark wooden floors that were scuffed, but clean. There were tables here and there, and a bar tucked in one corner. The shady-looking Koopas were sitting at a table nearby. On a bulletin board next to the doorway there were all kinds of fliers for different festivals and events going on. Too bad, Daisy thought, they would miss the circus next week.

The Toad behind the bar noticed the pair and hurried towards them. "Oh, Luigi! We didn't think you'd be coming in anytime soon. Can I get you and your lady friend anything?" The toad asked, looking Daisy up and down. Luigi stepped in front of the Princess, effectively blocking her from the Toad's view.

"Yeah. You think you could rent us one of the back rooms? Just for the night." The Toad grinned knowingly and nodded.

"Free of charge, of course! You're a legend around these parts! Not just for your saving of the kingdom, but your crazy card skills too! It's always an honor to have the great Luigi join our games." The Toad rambled on as he led them to a door behind the bar. "You're always welcome here, you know." He took them down a narrow hallway, to the last door on the right. "This should do it! There's a bathroom through that door there. If you need anything else, just ask." He said with a wink towards Daisy.

They were suddenly left alone as the Toad hurried back out to the bar, afraid to leave his customers for too long. Daisy walked to the lone bed and sat down, glancing around the room before her gaze returned to Luigi.

"So do you come here often?" She asked, watching Luigi set her suitcase at the edge of the bed. Luigi flushed and jerked up to look at her.

"I come here sometimes… when Mario is away. The people here are mostly nice, and actually remember my name…" Daisy suddenly felt glad that Luigi had decided to come with her. He would finally be able to get away from all the people who only knew him as, "Mario's Little Brother", or, "That Green Guy". He would finally get the chance to be himself… just like she was, too.

"Well, I really like this place. Being a princess, you never really get to go to places like this. I never even knew they existed outside of movies." Daisy explained wistfully. She ran her hand over the deep red comforter, looking in amazement at the space around her. To the average person it would have been just another hotel room; but to Daisy, this was an amazing experience. The carpet was worn and stained, and the curtains looked threadbare, but the room had a cozy feeling.

"I like it too." Luigi smiled at her. Daisy quickly looked away, flustered. Luigi's smile was so genuine, it made her heart hurt.

"Do you need anything before I go? It shouldn't take too long…" Daisy shook her head, and watched Luigi as he left the room.

"Graaah!!" Daisy groaned once she was sure Luigi was out of earshot. She threw herself back on the bed and kicked off her shoes. How was she going to endure being with Luigi for so long?! He reminded her of a lost puppy, looking for someone to care for him. And Daisy was tempted to do just that.

* * *

The door clicked shut behind Luigi as he crept back into the house. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness as he maneuvered around the couch and down the hallway. This was going to be difficult, he realized. Mario was an incredibly light sleeper, what with having to go at a moments notice to rescue Princess Peach. He was worried that his brother was going to wake up just as he was heading out the door and stop him. Ooh… How could he deceive Mario like this?!

He swallowed thickly, and slowly opened the bedroom door. He almost expected Mario to be standing there, tapping his foot, waiting for him to return. With his luck, it was entirely possible.

But when he opened his eyes, Mario wasn't standing there. In fact, he could hear his older brother's snoring from the top bunk. With that, Luigi gathered his courage and started going through his dresser. Clothes flew left and right as he searched for something that would adequately hide his identity. He found a simple brown leather jacket stuffed in a corner, and threw that on. Tomorrow he and Daisy definitely needed to go shopping. He gathered up the meager findings and crept out of the room as quietly as he had entered.

Mario was sure to wake up and wonder where he was. A note was definitely in order. So after filling a suitcase with his clothes, he grabbed a pen and sat down to write a note for Mario. He really did deserve the truth, but he couldn't risk the Princess getting caught. He settled for a simple, "Mario- went shopping. Be back before noon." It was all the time he could buy, since he and Mario were supposed to go to the castle tomorrow afternoon. He stuck the note to the refrigerator handle so that Mario wouldn't miss it.

"This might actually work!" Luigi thought to himself. He grinned triumphantly as he picked up his suitcase and left through the front door again. This time though, he wouldn't be coming back.

* * *

"Tonight's game sure seems rowdy…" Luigi thought as he was walking into the largely unknown gaming club. There were shouts and bottles were slammed down on the table. A feminine laughter filled the room, and Luigi immediately recognized it as Daisy's. She was standing over the Koopas, demanding her prize money.

The Koopas noticed Luigi standing in the doorway and beckoned him over. "Get this girl outta here! We're sick of losing to her!" One shouted. Daisy laughed loudly, and slammed some of her newly-won coins down on the table.

"Come on! Don't give up so easily! One more round!" She shouted, stomping her foot on the ground. Luigi quickly shuffled to her side and gathered the coins she had thrown on the table.

"I-I think it's time to head back to our room…" He attempted to push Daisy towards the hall without actually pushing her.

"What?! But-- Luigi! I was totally kicking their butts!" Daisy cried out. The Koopas all shouted angrily at that.

"She could nearly rival you, Luigi!" The Toad behind the bar interjected. That certainly wasn't helping anything, Luigi thought. If anything, it just looked like Daisy's ego was getting bigger by the second. He took the opportunity to shove the coins into her hand, then take her other and lead her to their room before she could protest.

Once they were safely inside, Luigi locked the door and threw his suitcase beside Daisy's. Daisy huffed and spun around to face him.

"Luigi! I could have wiped them clean! Why'd you make me stop?!"

"I'm sorry, Pri--Daisy. It's just that some of the people that visit this place aren't the friendliest. I didn't want you hurt, or brought back to the castle before we even leave Toad Town." Daisy's eyes softened as she listened to Luigi's explanation.

"I guess you're right… I shouldn't be so reckless. We haven't even gotten away yet!" She opened her suitcase and pulled out her pajamas. "It's getting really late. We should get some sleep if we're gonna leave tomorrow morning." Luigi stared after her as she went into the bathroom to change.

She was right, he thought; they had a big day tomorrow. They needed to cover as much ground as possible before tomorrow afternoon. Before Mario and Princess Peach discovered that they were both missing.

-------------

A/N: So? Please review!


	3. It's Begun

A/N: Okay, here we go! I finally got another chapter written out! And it's even a little longer than the other two! I know it took me way too long to get this one out, but I had no idea where to go with this story! Plus, my internet is out, so that kind of makes it hard to get on. But that's still no excuse, so please forgive me for taking so long! If you really want to yell at me, go ahead and do it in a review. ;)

You already know all the disclaimer stuff, it hasn't changed.

Brave New World

Chapter three: It's Begun

* * *

It wasn't fair! If she had been born as a normal girl, none of this would have happened! Daisy sighed and rolled onto her stomach, burying herself further into the dark red comforter. It wasn't fair of her to drag Luigi into this, either. He should stay in Toad Town, and protect the Mushroom Kingdom. And even though he wasn't as well-known as his brother, he was still more likely to get them recognized than just herself alone.

That's it, Daisy decided; she would send Luigi back, and beg him not to say anything to Peach and Mario. He belonged here, with his family and friends.

Daisy sighed again and sat up, glancing toward the window. Gentle early-morning light was creeping through the threadbare curtains. She had to leave soon.

"Luigi!" Daisy exclaimed, her voice sounding much louder in the silence of the room. She hopped excitedly out of the blankets, and peered down the bottom of the bed to where Luigi was nestled on the floor. He hadn't even stirred.

Grinning to herself, Daisy reached down and poked his exposed shoulder. "Hey, wake up, Sleeping Beauty!" Still no response.

Hmm, maybe she should let him sleep? …Yes! That would be perfect! She could just slip out and leave him a letter asking him to go back, and to keep quiet! As the thought settled in, she carefully got off the bed and crept to the bathroom, suitcase in hand.

* * *

_Luigi,_

_Please don't worry about me any longer. I've decided to go out on my own so that you can stay and protect your kingdom. All that I ask of you is that you don't mention any of this to Peach or Mario, please._

_-Daisy_

She placed the letter on the bed, and picked up her suitcase that was next to the door. But as she turned back to get one last look at the room and Luigi, she couldn't help but pause. Would he be upset with her? Her poor little puppy, abandoned once again.

Without thinking, she set her suitcase back on the floor, and went to Luigi's side. How could she leave him alone like this? But it was the best for both of them; she had to do this. Steeling her resolve, she knelt beside him and placed a gentle kiss to his temple. Now she would go.

"…Daisy..?"

Or not. Luigi yawned and looked up at her with heavy-lidded eyes. She flushed and quickly got up from his side.

"Y-you're finally awake! I've been trying to get you up forever, ha ha ha!" Daisy knew she sounded like an idiot, but Luigi was so out of it, he didn't seem to notice.

"Sorry… it's always been that way… Mario wakes up at the smallest noise, but even a hurricane couldn't get me up." He explained groggily. But a kiss will do the trick. Daisy thought. Maybe he is Sleeping Beauty! She stifled a laugh as Luigi slowly started to come back to earth.

"What's that?" Luigi asked, spying the letter that Daisy had placed on the bed. She quickly scooped it up and crumpled it in her fist.

"Nothing, just doodling!" Luigi grumbled a response back, and headed for the bathroom.

Looks like she was stuck with him. For now, at least. It wouldn't be too difficult to slip away from him tomorrow morning, right? That's what she would do, then. There was no way she was taking Luigi away from his kingdom.

* * *

"My head feels strange without my hat." Luigi noted, patting his hair down with one hand. Daisy stopped to look critically at him, then leaned over and fixed a strand of hair.

"There. It's fine, so stop messing with it!" She said, grinning over at him.

The pair left soon after Luigi was up. After placing a few coins on the bed, they had decided that the best route to take was to head to Rougeport and catch a ship. Getting as far away from the castle as possible was Daisy's main objective right now. But before that, a trip to Luigi's mansion was desperately in order. They had no supplies, and Luigi was nervous that they would be spotted if they went into town to stock up.

The thing that had Daisy worried was sneaking out of that blasted mansion! She'd been there a few times before, but she knew she would still get lost. Her castle was very straightforward, but Luigi's mansion had all kinds of twists and turns. Just when she'd think she found the dining room, somehow she'd end up in the library. Maybe she'd leave a trail of breadcrumbs or something? This was just ridiculous!

"Daisy? Are you okay?" Oh, that's right. Luigi was right here. She took a moment to reign in her thoughts before turning to look at him.

"Of course! Just thinking about things." She mustered up her sweetest smile and watched as he stumbled and nearly dropped their suitcases.

* * *

Mario awoke with a start that morning. He had a strange feeling that something was amiss, but he didn't know what. Bowser had just been dealt with recently, so he wouldn't show up for another few weeks, hopefully.

The source of this feeling continued to elude him, until he got up to find some of that leftover pizza from the night before, and found Luigi's quickly-scrawled note. So that's all it is, Mario thought with a smile. Little bro's gone out shopping, and Mama Mario wakes up worried that he'll never come home! The thought made him laugh.

Well, he'd be back before noon at least. Wouldn't want to be late for his date with Daisy! Mario was truly glad that Daisy had come along. She seemed to bring out all the good in his brother, and Luigi seemed much happier with her around. He used to just mope around the house all day, but now he was actually motivated to get out and do things with everyone.

Just as Mario finished his last slice of cold pizza, there was pounding on the front door. "Just a second!" Mario shouted, wrapping his red robe tighter around himself.

"Oh, Mario! Mario!" Toad sobbed as soon as Mario had the door open. "It's terrible!"

"What happened?" Was the princess taken again? That was just like Bowser to strike so quickly after his last failure. The Toad in front of him continued to sob. "Hey!" After a few poundings to the head, Toad composed himself enough to continue.

"O-One of the maids went to wake up P-Princess Daisy this morning… but she was nowhere to be found!" With that, the Toad began crying again. "P-Please help us, Mario! Relations with Sarasaland will be ruined f-forever unless we find her s-soon!" Mario nodded.

"Don't worry about it, I'll find her!" The Toad sighed with relief, and went back to relay the message to Princess Peach. Mario headed back into his house to get dressed, and prepare for battle with Bowser.

* * *

The only thing Luigi disliked (he didn't hate; hate was such a powerful word,) about going all the way out to the mansion was the long trek through Boo Woods to get there. They hadn't encountered anything so far, which was surprising, considering the amount of noise Daisy was making. She had a theory that if you made as much noise as possible, the ghosts would leave you alone. And so far, it seemed to be working.

"…You know what's really bothering me? The amount of light in this place! I hate it! Do you think you could do that… you know, fireball thing?" Daisy asked, kicking a stray branch out of their path.

"That would catch the entire forest on fire! Besides, I can only do that with a fire flower." Luigi explained.

"Really? That's too bad, then. I really want to see the sun again…" She replied. So they continued on through the sunless forest, Daisy's complaining keeping the Boos at bay.

Soon enough they were at the gates of Luigi's mansion, Daisy rejoicing at the sunlight pouring onto the lush grass of the lawn. Luigi made a move to grab the key to the gates, but noticed that they were already unlocked. The only two people to have a key other than himself were Mario and Professor E. Gadd. And since there was no way that Mario could have beaten them here, E. Gadd must be visiting.

"…Probably doing experiments on my garden again…" Luigi muttered as he led Daisy through the gates and toward the house.

"What?" She asked, giving him a strange look.

"Oh. The gate was unlocked, so Professor E. Gadd is here. I don't think you've met before." Luigi explained. "But don't worry, he won't say anything to Mario." Luigi set down their suitcases and pushed open one of the large front doors, allowing Daisy to pass in front of him.

"He's the one that helped you save Mario that one time, right?"

"Quite right, young lady. That would be me, Professor Elvin Gadd, at your service." E. Gadd stood at the top of the stairs, watching the pair intently. "I hope you don't mind, but I took over the library for a bit." He said, addressing Luigi.

"That's fine, we won't be staying long anyway. You haven't touched my garden yet, have you?" Luigi asked, fretting over his flowers.

"Just to get the Pirahna Plants out, but I'm afraid to say that most of the garden didn't make it."

"O-oh!" Luigi exclaimed and dropped their suitcases. "E. Gadd, do you mind showing Daisy to a room?" He asked, rushing from the room.

Daisy watched as E. Gadd slowly descended the staircase, coming to a stop in front of her. "So are you and Luigi are very close, professor?" She asked as the aging man reached down and picked up one of the suitcases.

"Oh yes, Luigi is like a son to me. He often helps with my experiments when his brother is away." He led Daisy back upstairs, and into the west wing. "And may I presume that you are the Princess Daisy that I've heard so much about?"

Daisy felt her cheeks go red as she curtsied. "Yes, that's me. But, uh, can I ask something of you, please?" She was feeling somewhat shy around this man that Luigi held in such high esteem.

"Oh course, anything, dear."

"If anyone asks, could you please not say anything about us being here?" She looked bashfully toward the ground as E. Gadd remained silent.

"…You aren't eloping, are you?" Daisy's head snapped back up in shock, and after seeing E. Gadd's serious expression, she burst out laughing.

"No, no! He is helping me escape an unwanted marriage, but not by marrying me!" E. Gadd looked slightly relieved at this. Leading her to the end of the hall, he opened the door on the right and set the suitcase on the large bed in the middle of the room.

"If you aren't eloping, then how is it that he's helping you out of this marriage?" E. Gadd questioned. Daisy sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Luigi trusted this man to keep their secret, so she figured it would be okay to tell him everything.

"You see, my father, the king of Sarasaland, recently sent me a letter, telling me of a pending engagement to the prince of Beanbean Kingdom, Peasly. And he's a nice guy and everything, but there's no way I'd ever want to marry a bean!" She paused, looking over at the open window. "So I asked Luigi to help me run away and leave my kingdom behind. Now he wants to come with me, and I told him yes, but I'm starting to think that it would be better if he stayed here and protected his kingdom! And I don't have any idea how to tell him that!" Daisy took a breath, and looked at E. Gadd, waiting for him to respond.

He looked back at Daisy, the young woman who captured Luigi's heart, and just poured her own out to him. He had no experience in matters of love, seeing as no woman could put up with his experiments for long. But he did know that running away would not solve any of her problems.

"From what I've heard about you, this is completely out of character. Where's the spunky girl who Luigi admires so much? You must know as well as I do that running away is only a temporary solution. You'll surely be caught sooner or later, and I have a feeling that it will only upset your father even more if you don't go back and settle things with him outright." At this, Daisy nodded grimly. "If I were you, I would go back home now, and take Luigi with you."

"But I can't just give up and go back to him! I have to finish what I've started. Thank you for trying to help me, but I just can't take your advice." She attempted a smile in his direction, before nearly running out of the room. E. Gadd watched her go, and shook his head.

"Kids!" He exclaimed as he followed her example and left the room.

* * *

"I hate this house!" Daisy cried to herself. She managed to make it back downstairs, but in her fury she must have taken a wrong turn, because she now had no idea where she was. All she wanted was a door to the garden! "That's it, I'm going through a window." She growled. Finding the nearest window, she hauled herself up and out, and landed gracefully on the grass. Okay, she made it outside. Now where was she?

Thankful for the fence surrounding the house, she followed it around until she found the garden. Luigi was still there, humming softly as he tended to his flowers. He looked so peaceful that she didn't want to bother him. Instead, she took a moment to view his beautiful garden.

"Daisies?" She blurted out, making Luigi jump. He spun around to face her, red with embarrassment.

"D-Daisy! I didn't even hear the door open!" He exclaimed.

"I couldn't find it; I came through a window." She said with a grin.

"Of course." He said, smiling back at her. Luigi turned back to his garden, and Daisy settled into the grass, content with the sun shining on her back, and Luigi's pleasant humming filling her ears.

* * *

This would show his unruly daughter. A surprise visit to the Mushroom Kingdom was the perfect way to teach her a lesson. He would drag her back to Sarasaland with force, if necessary.

When his sleek black car pulled up to the gates of Toadstool's castle, the guards were surprised and somewhat nervous to see him.

"Y-Your Majesty! Please, go right through." They quickly opened the gates to allow him entry. The sight that greeted him as they pulled up the castle shocked him; Toads were scurrying all about the castle grounds, and the huge castle doors were thrown wide. He could see Princess Toadstool pacing in the front hall.

Without a word to his driver, Sarasa got out of the car, slamming the door behind him. The Toads froze when they saw him coming.

"Princess Toadstool." He bowed to her. "Where is my daughter?" Peach stared up at him with wide eyes, unable to reply.

Finally, her voice unsteady, she answered. "She's gone."

* * *

A/N: Woo! I'm very excited with how this turned out! Don't forget to leave me a little review, now, and tell me what you thought of it!


	4. Goodbye

A/N: Some of you might not be happy with this chapter. But I did add lots of fluff to make up for it! There's a lot going on all at once. Things are starting to go in a strange direction, but enjoy the story anyway!

You already know all the disclaimer stuff, it hasn't changed.

Brave New World

Chapter four: Goodbye

* * *

"Gone." Sarasa repeated. Princess Peach looked as if she were about to burst into tears at any minute. "Gone back to Sarasaland?" She shook her head and looked down at her gloved hands, afraid to look the baffled king in the eyes.

"We…we think that B-Bowser took her." Peach fumbled her words, twisting her hands together nervously. "We've got our Mario Brothers on the job right now." She risked a glance at his face, which was oddly stoic after hearing such news.

Though his face was blank, the wheels were turning in Sarasa's head as he worked through the how's and why's of Daisy's disappearance. There was no way that she would have let herself get kidnapped so easily; not after the run-in with… that alien… what was it again? Tatanga! She'd had plenty of defensive training after the incident to prevent anything like it from happening again. The only logical explanation that Sarasa's angered mind could come to was that this was all for the attention. He'd have to examine her room before he could draw any conclusions, of course. But the truth would surely be revealed.

His gaze was drawn back to the petite princess in front of him as her elderly advisor, Toadsworth, rushed hurriedly to their sides. "Your Majesty! A room has been prepared for you, if you'd like to rest a bit?" Sarasa nodded sharply to the respectable-looking Toad, and he immediately started off for the large central staircase. Peach stared after them as they left.

She was sure that Daisy's father must have been suspicious, especially since he was trying to push Daisy into this marriage. She and Daisy had been furious when Daisy had received that letter, but she had thought that Daisy had resigned and accepted the fact that her father made the rules? Maybe not.

That was ridiculous! Of course Daisy knew that! But as Peach settled herself onto one of the benches in the gardens, she couldn't help the nagging feeling that something wasn't right.

* * *

"No need to worry, Your Majesty, with the help of the great Mario Brothers we should have your daughter back safe and sound within the week! I assure you, nothing like this has ever happened to a guest of the Mushroom kingdom, and we will be stepping up security to be sure that it never does again!" Toadsworth babbled. Though Sarasa was only half listening, the mention of the Mario Brothers caught his attention.

"That's the fellow in green?" Sarasa had heard of these two from Daisy before; they were supposedly great friends of Princess Toadstool.

"…Yes, right. That would be Luigi. Although he's usually here, protecting the castle grounds while Mario is doing the rescuing… in fact, I'm surprised he hasn't shown up yet…" Toadsworth thought aloud.

"Mario?" That name sounded very familiar.

Toadsworth was quick to answer, "Why, the acclaimed Mario! You've surely met him before?" Oh, yes. He was the one who saved his daughter once before, but that was years ago. "He's not just a hero to our kingdom, but to Beanbean's as well! We've heard of your new connection to the Beanbean kingdom, and on behalf of the entire Mushroom kingdom I would like to congratulate you on such an excellent match…" Toadsworth continued to talk Sarasa's ear off until they reached his room. Which, luckily for Sarasa, wasn't much longer.

"Yes, well… thank you." Sarasa replied awkwardly, and promptly shut the door in Toadsworth's face.

Once alone and at peace, Sarasa finally had time to work through his jumbled thoughts. Perhaps he had been wrong in assuming that this kidnapping was planned? It seemed as if everyone in the castle knew about her engagement, so they surely wouldn't had aided her escape. This reassured him the tiniest bit, but there was still something amiss here, and he would be sure to figure out what it was.

* * *

"Hey! This is completely unfair! I want to help too!" Daisy shouted at the locked library door. "You said I could yesterday!" She kicked the door for good measure. The two men behind the door completely ignored her pleas and continued to discuss in hushed tones.

Daisy was furious. Not because they wouldn't let her in, but because they refused to acknowledge her presence! How dare they just ignore the princess of Sarasaland?! Didn't E. Gadd know what she could have done to him?! Daisy froze. She wasn't allowed to think like that anymore; she was no longer the princess of Sarasaland!

This just upset her more, and she paced angrily in front of the door. This wasn't good. Maybe she really didn't have it in her to leave her father and her kingdom behind. She was such a spoiled brat!

Somewhere in the middle of this angry tirade the voices on the other side of the door had stopped. Curious as to the sudden silence, Daisy knocked cautiously on the door. "Hey..?"

No response.

"I warned you!" Daisy shouted before launching a flying kick to the door. Unfortunately, the door was thrown open just before she managed to make contact, resulting in a very upset Luigi.

"Oh, Luigi!" Daisy cried. She sat up and maneuvered herself off the crumpled form of Luigi. E. Gadd looked up from his computer screen, watching the pair with an amused expression. "Are you alright?!"

"N-Nice shot…" Luigi remarked, clutching his stomach as he sat up. Daisy grinned as she stood up, and pulled Luigi off the floor with her.

"I knew you could take it!" She laughed, patting him on the head.

"Y-Yeah…" He replied wearily.

E. Gadd chose this moment to cut in. "Princess, it seems as though a few Toads from Toadstool's castle are at the gates. I can take care of them, unless you'd prefer to?"

Within the past day and a half she and E. Gadd had become a kind of friends, you could say. So she felt no guilt thinking about how much she wanted to punch him in the face for making those kinds of comments, even if he was being sarcastic. (Which she wasn't sure he was.)

"Why don't you go ahead, just this once?" She replied with an obviously fake smile. He strode from the room with a quick nod. Daisy wasn't sure if it was because half the time he was sarcastic, or if it was just his old age, but he was draining to talk to.

"Daisy, come here." It seemed that Luigi had fully recovered, and he beckoned her to his side where he stood next to E. Gadd's computer. Her curiosity was piqued once again, and she carefully navigated around the sea of strange machines and stacks of papers.

She peered down at the monitor, fully expecting some interesting design for a new invention. "This is it?" Daisy blurted out. "I was expecting something better than this!"

The monitor was linked to a camera that showed the Toads and E. Gadd having a heated conversation. E. Gadd was gesturing wildly, then pointed in the direction of Toad Town.

"T-They must be looking for us!" Luigi looked distressed. "We should leave. We've caused enough trouble for E. Gadd." Daisy watched as he ran a hand nervously through his hair. Now was her chance!

"Luigi?" Daisy began. He lifted his eyes to meet hers, and she strengthened her resolve. "I think you should go back with those Toads." Luigi opened his mouth to respond, but Daisy quieted him with a touch to his arm. "You should stay with your brother. And Peach needs you! Who's going to watch over the castle with you gone? I can take care of myself. Go home, Luigi."

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, both of them completely silent. Luigi gave in first, and tore his eyes from hers.

"No, I'm going with you."

"But you have so much at home! How could you just give it all up?!" Daisy shouted.

"Mario doesn't really need me. Not anymore." Luigi stated calmly. "He's probably going to get engaged to Peach any day now, and I'll just be the little brother that he's got to take care of." Daisy was giving him an obnoxiously sympathetic look, and it made his stomach churn.

"Don't make that face. I-I'm not coming along just because of that! I want to be known because of me, not because I'm Mario's little brother. I'm sick of us being the Mario Brothers! I just want to be Luigi." With that said, he collapsed wearily into the chair next to the computer, terrified to hear Daisy's reply.

Daisy's eyes shown with a new appreciation of Luigi. She'd know all of this already, but hearing him say it made her positive that she had to bring him along. He needed this just as much as she did. She was suddenly feeling so giddy; she couldn't resist the urge to leap into his lap and wrap her arms around him.

"I'm sorry for doubting you!" She explained to a startled Luigi. "I should have known that you had your own reasons for tagging along… I'm so selfish, I thought it was just for me!" She laughed.

Luigi was somewhat relieved at hearing this. " So you'll still let me go?" Daisy nodded enthusiastically, and Luigi smiled. "That's good, because I would have just followed you anyway."

"What?! There's no way I'd let you do that!" Daisy grinned back at him. Luigi was definitely gutsier than she had originally thought. Maybe there was a hidden wolf in her puppy?

Her thoughts were interrupted by E. Gadd, who reappeared in the doorway. Luigi jumped, and his hands tightened around her waist--when did those get there?

E. Gadd didn't seem to mind them as he relayed the details of his conversation. "No need to worry, they were just looking for Luigi." He told them. "Did you know that the princess of Sarasaland has been captured by the wicked King Koopa? Mario is on his way to rescue her as we speak, but for some reason nobody seems to be able to find Luigi."

"Well that should keep them busy for a while." Luigi remarked. Daisy stood up angrily.

"They actually believe that I would let myself get captured by that stupid turtle?!"

"Let them think what they want to. Just use the situation to your advantage! This is your window of opportunity for escape." Taking E. Gadd's advice, that's exactly what they did, leaving later that evening.

* * *

It was another beautiful day in Toad Town, but Peach just couldn't get motivated to enjoy the day. There was still no word from Mario, and to make matters worse, Luigi was nowhere to be found. Maybe he had heard from Mario that Daisy disappeared and went to search on his own? Yes, that's probably what happened, Peach thought, since he wasn't at that far-off mansion, he must be aiding their search!

With that thought in her head, she decided to head to the dining room for lunch. But when she arrived, she found that Daisy's father was already there. He stood as she entered.

"Good afternoon." Peach said pleasantly, dipping into a curtsey.

Sarasa waved her curtsey off, "We have no need for such formalities, Princess. After all, you are my daughter's dearest friend." He settled back into his chair and Peach joined him, taking the seat across from him.

"Are you enjoying your stay in the Mushroom Kingdom so far? I mean, aside from Daisy…" Peach tried miserably to start a conversation.

He cracked a small smile at her attempt. "Yes, very much." He replied, "The weather here is pleasantly mild compared to Sarasaland's scorching deserts." Peach nodded understandingly.

This was about as far as the conversation went, and Peach fidgeted nervously in her chair and picked at her lunch until Sarasa politely excused himself from the room. Once alone, Peach hungrily devoured her lunch, silently wishing that Mario would return with Daisy so that they could get rid of Sarasa.

The said king was just as glad to have Peach out of his sight as she was to be rid of him. He was constantly reminded of how a princess was supposed to act and, in contrast, how his own daughter chose to behave. She was too spunky and tom-boyish. That was his own fault, though, Sarasa admitted. When she was a child he might have played a little too rough with her… but was it his fault that he had been hoping for a boy?

Peach, his daughter's complete opposite, was sweet, demure, and best of all, quiet. She knew how to behave in society. And she surely wouldn't disobey her father if he chose arrange her marriage.

_That _was highly unlikely though. Ever since his wife had passed away years ago, Toadstool had gone completely soft with his child. Let her run the entire kingdom, even! The man wasn't even in residence anymore. He'd supposedly bought an island out in the middle of nowhere and was living in seclusion. Only his daughter was in contact with him, or so he'd heard. Sarasa supposed that his advisor must be in contact as well, relaying important information and such.

Not that he cared how Toadstool was choosing to run his country; he had his own business to attend to. Like finding his unruly daughter and marrying her off to that bean prince.

* * *

This was it. This is what Daisy had been looking for. The bustling city of Rougeport… just the atmosphere was getting her pumped up. And everyone here looked so… _suspicious_; she felt like doing something bad just to fit in. She supposed that this past week qualified her for entering Rougeport, seeing as how she and Luigi were pretty much hiding from two separate kingdoms.

Luigi had decided that it was fine for them to enter the main area of the city. After all, nobody here would turn them in, for fear of retaliation against themselves. Daisy took the opportunity to do a bit of shopping.

"Just pick out some things to help you blend in!" Daisy ordered as they entered one of the tiny shops lining the busy street.

"Right. Like anyone would recognize me anyway." Luigi grumbled, and Daisy rolled her eyes, and gave him a solid punch on the shoulder.

"Just do it! I'll meet you at the docks at five, alright?" Luigi couldn't help but watch Daisy as she left.

Ever since they'd left the mansion, things seemed different somehow. Like things were finally beginning to happen, and things were beginning to change. He couldn't explain it, but it seemed like he was always full of adrenalin, and ready to tackle the day. And even now, though he'd been in the city dozens of times, everything seemed new. Like his eyes were opening for the first time.

And to fit in with this new state of mind, Luigi needed a new wardrobe. The first thing he decided _not _to buy was a new hat. The old Luigi wore hats; this one let his hair run free.

* * *

It seemed as though Daisy had had the opposite idea. When Luigi arrived at the docks at four-fifty, he wasn't expecting Daisy to already be there. And at first, he didn't think she was.

The dusky sunset turned the water a dark orange, and against this sunset Luigi couldn't make out the features of the lone woman that stood impatiently at the docks. As he approached, she dropped her bags and rushed towards him.

"Luigi!" Daisy squealed excitedly, "Look, look!" Daisy pulled off a brightly colored fedora and spun around to show him her hair. Well, what was left of it anyway. Luigi nearly fainted there in the street. "The lady called it a pixie cut! Isn't it great?!"

He was speechless. Gone. It was all gone. It was so short that you couldn't even run your hands through it. Not that he would be doing that. But… it did give him a nice view of her slender neck, at least. Not that he would be looking or anything.

Daisy was giving him a strange look, and he quickly returned to the real world. "It's not bad. I like it." And he actually did. It took a bit of getting used to, but it fit her personality perfectly. Her face lit up at that, and she returned to her forgotten bags.

"That's good! I was worried about what you would think. It's kind of a dramatic change." She replied, idly tugging on a lock of hair.

Once Luigi was over that shock, he took a moment to she what she bought; she was already wearing one of her new outfits. A brown V-neck T-shirt, which made her hair look even more fiery than it was--or was it the sunset? It must be both, he decided. And a pair of white shorts, which he was certain wouldn't be white for long.

"So, where to?" Daisy asked, glancing out over the ocean. "I don't think we'll be finding a ship tonight."

She was right. They would leave first thing in the morning. "I know a place, not too far from here." Daisy accepted his word without argument, and within minutes they were checking into a room at a shady-looking inn.

They settled into the room, which Luigi made sure had two beds, and packed their new wardrobes into their respective suitcases. Well, Luigi packed. Daisy just started shoving things in her bag until Luigi had to come over and pack for her.

As he was repacking all of her clothes, Daisy opened the curtains and peered outside. The city was still so busy even though it was already dark. Something in the distance caught her eye.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. That looked like a circus tent! Luigi looked up from the shirt he was folding.

"What is it?!" Were they caught already?! Ooh, Mario was going to be furious! And Peach would probably-

"The circus! Lets go! Right now!" Daisy was out the door in a flash. She knew Luigi would be right behind her, so she stopped in the lobby and asked the first person she saw, a suspicious looking Goomba, if they knew anything about it.

Luigi stumbled down the stairs just as she was about to walk out the door. "Hey!" He called out, and nearly knocked over the Goomba that had given her directions in his rush to get to her side.

"Hurry up!" Daisy exclaimed impatiently. She grabbed his arm once he was close enough to do so, and nearly dragged him down the street.

"D-Daisy! What's the rush?!" Luigi asked, forcing her to stop. She looked so excited, she was tempted to let her go again.

"I've never been to one before. They weren't fit for a princess, you know? I guess you don't!" She laughed. "It's always something I've wanted to see, besides just in the movies."

Luigi's eyes softened and he took her by the hand, starting off down the street once again. He'd passed by it earlier that afternoon, but it looked like it was already packing up and moving on. He hoped that wasn't the case, or Daisy would be crushed.

As they arrived at the area where the circus should have been, they found it was nearly gone. The only thing still partially set up was what Luigi recognized as the big top. It still seemed pretty lively in the tent, with people coming and going, so Luigi decided that they could at least take a peak inside.

Daisy was nearly jumping with excitement as they approached. A few Birdos in sequined outfits were standing near the entrance, probably performers. One of them glanced over at them and stared at Daisy, who was watching the routine in the ring. Luigi kept a weary eye on the Birdo, and it wasn't long before she and her gang of Birdos approached them.

"…Excuse me?" The Birdo asked, drawing Daisy's attention away from the ring. "Do you think you could help us out? You look like the kind of girl Carver is looking for."

"Carver?" Daisy asked.

The Birdo gestured to the Magikoopa in the tent. "He's the ringmaster here. He's looking for a replacement for Elie, the girl who performed with the Ostros."

Well that explains the scene in the tent, Daisy thought. The Magikoopa was shouting and waving a staff at one of the Birdos who was attempting to ride an Ostro. The poor thing looked like it was about to collapse under the weight.

Luigi turned to her with a worried expression. "I think it's time to get back to the room…" He said anxiously, and it finally clicked into Daisy's mind what the Birdos were implying.

"Work at the circus?!" She took Luigi's hands in hers and put on her best pouting face. "Come on! This is our destiny, Luigi! We have to do this!"

As Luigi looked down at that face, he knew it would be the end of him someday.

* * *

A/N: …So? Confused? I feel bad about chopping off Daisy's hair… it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision. And I wanted to write something about Mario in this chapter, but I just couldn't fit it in. But don't forget to review and tell me what you think so far, okay?


	5. Infatuation

A/N: I really don't have a good excuse for not having this out sooner. I wish I did, but it was just hard to find inspiration to get it out. Anyway, here's chapter five, one that I am particularly proud of! I still don't own Mario, incase you were wondering.

Brave New World

Chapter Five: Infatuation

* * *

"Hold it right there, Bowser!"

"What?" The Koopa king sat up in his lawn chair, which looked like it had seen better days. Mario stood in the large doorway with his hands on his hips, dozens of beaten Koopa soldiers scattered behind him.

"Where's Princess Daisy?" He demanded, suddenly feeling unsure of himself as Bowser stared back at him in confusion.

"That annoying red-head? Haven't seen her. Maybe she eloped with that green bean brother of yours?" He snickered and laid back in his heavily abused chair.

Mario pondered his words. It was true that he hadn't seen his brother since the night before Daisy went missing, but someone must have _seen _her get taken by Bowser, right? They wouldn't just assume that Bowser was the one who kidnapped her and lead him on a wild goose chase…

But that's exactly what's going on, Mario thought as he glanced back at Bowser's huge green form. He had taken to ignoring the plumber and was flipping casually through a magazine.

"Right, well… I'll be heading back to Toad Town now…" Mario grumbled, and Bowser turned to face him with a wicked grin.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for some lemonade?" He asked jokingly, while shooing Mario out of the room with a flick of his wrist.

Sighing, Mario turned around, mentally preparing himself for the long trek home. At least he had the thought of the terrible thrashing he would give those Toads when he got there.

As the door clicked shut behind Mario, Bowser flew out of his chair. There was no time to waste; he had to act before Mario made it back to Peach. With the red-clad plumber distracted, now was his chance to swoop in on his beautiful Princess Peach.

* * *

The ringmaster, Carver, had allowed Daisy a go with the Ostros, and was thoroughly surprised at the outcome. She had all the grace that he was looking for, and seemed to get along well with the animals. As she did another turn around the ring, he knew he had found the one.

"Luigi! Look at me!" Daisy laughed from her perch on the brightly dressed Ostro. Luigi smiled and waved back, when the Birdo gang appeared at his side.

"So? What is she?" The leader Birdo asked. She was a typical pink Birdo, but instead of a red bow on her head she had a dark blue one, matching her sequined outfit. Her eye shadow was also a darker shade than normal, which helped lend a slightly menacing look to her current expression.

"What is she?" Luigi repeated, furrowing his brows when all the Birdos nodded and looked at him expectantly.

"To you," One of them specified.

"Oh-she's my… cousin." Luigi explained. They hooted with laughter at that, and a red Birdo patted his back sympathetically.

"Course she is," The pink Birdo replied, "So what's your names, then? Looks like you'll be staying with us for awhile," She gestured toward Carver, who seemed entranced with Daisy.

"My name is Luigi, that's Daisy," He told them. Though he didn't know these girls at all, they had a certain air about them that made him feel safe enough to tell them his and Daisy's real names. Besides, what were the chances of them recognizing the Sarasaland Princess or the second Mario brother?

"Daisy, huh? I had an aunt named Daisy once," One of the Birdos blurted out. The others all laughed at that, then the pink Birdo stepped up and held out her hand to Luigi.

"The name's Catherine. Nice to meet you!" She said with a smile.

Just as Luigi was about to respond, a commotion in the ring drew their attention away. Daisy stood beside the Ostro, talking happily with Carver, who was exclaiming her to be the next biggest show of the circus. Daisy squealed excitedly and called Luigi over.

With a nod to the Birdo girls, Luigi made his way to Daisy's side. Before he had even gotten there Daisy was already shouting at him.

"Can you believe it? The circus! We're gonna be in the circus!" She grabbed Luigi's hand excitedly.

"Amazing," Luigi sighed, looking up as the Magikoopa cleared his throat expectantly.

"And who might you be?" Carver asked in an accent that Luigi couldn't identify. Although the Magikoopa was on the shorter side, he stared at Luigi with such commanding authority that he felt like he was dealing with Toadsworth.

He stood a bit straighter as he looked Carver in the eye, "Luigi. And if you plan on hiring Daisy, you'd better hire me too."

A gleam appeared in Carver's eye at that, and he looked Luigi up and down. "So what are you good at then, Mr. Luigi?" That made Luigi pause. What _was _he good at? As he sat there fumbling over his thoughts, Daisy cut in.

"It doesn't have to be anything extravagant, just any old thing, please?" With Daisy's insistence, the Magikoopa nodded.

"Fine, just because we need you, Daisy." He turned to the Birdos still standing in a group where Luigi had left them. "Show her to her room." He said, pointing at Daisy with his staff.

"Wait, all of our stuff is still at our hotel room!" She exclaimed before Catherine even had a chance to approach. Carver sighed and stamped his wand against the floor.

"Come back first thing in the morning, then."

"Yes sir!" Daisy replied, grabbing Luigi by the arm and turning to leave.

One the way out, Luigi caught Catherine's eye, "See you later," She said with a wink.

"What was that?" Daisy whispered once they were safely outside. The chilly night air whipped around them, and the darkness seemed to close up around them as they got further and further away from the tent.

"It was nothing," Luigi responded. "But listen, Daisy. I don't think we should go back there tomorrow. That Magikoopa is bad news, trust me."

"Oh, really? Well then you can stay here while I leave tomorrow." Daisy said with a glare, and stormed ahead of him. Luigi just stared after her retreating figure before it finally clicked in his head that she was angry at him.

"Wait- Daisy!" He called, and ran after her. It wasn't long before he caught up to her; she had slowed down once she was a safe distance from him. "What did I do?" Daisy didn't respond right away, instead forcing him to suffer her silence as she settled her thoughts.

"It's just… Well, why did you help me, Luigi?" A car appeared from around the corner on the darkened street, the driver shouting at them as it passed.

Why? He hadn't stopped to think of a reason why; it just came naturally to help her. And why was it that you always need a reason to do something? Because it seemed like when it came to Daisy, he never ended up having one.

"Do I really need a reason?"

"Luigi…" Daisy's anger was quickly fading, turning into something else entirely. As the heat settled into her stomach, it only seemed natural to lean up and place her lips over his.

Except he panicked, and turned away before Daisy's lips could even brush his. "Let's, uh… let's get back, before it gets too late," Luigi said roughly.

"…Alright." Daisy couldn't help the unsettled feeling that washed over her. Her stomach churned and her eyes stung with tears that she refused to shed. Why did he pull away? Didn't Luigi care about her the way she cared about him?

* * *

The next morning came around, and after her good cry last night, Daisy was feeling refreshed. So what if Luigi didn't care for her? She hadn't planned to keep him in the picture for much longer anyway. It was about time for him to head back to Toad Town and keep Mario and Peach from growing suspicious about her whereabouts.

This was exactly the reason that she kept her heart shut off from the people around her. And she knew the pain in her chest would only persist until she finally got rid of him. So that morning she had gotten up extra early, hoping to beat Luigi up. But her plan had failed, and by the time she had risen he was already up and packed.

Neither of them said a word as Daisy rose and dressed, then packed her bag. It wasn't until she picked her bag up and looked at Luigi expectantly, "Well? Are you ready?"

"Of course." And then they were off, ready to start their lives over again.

Everything around them that morning seemed bright and cheerful, and it only made Daisy feel that much worse inside. The entire walk to the tent was terrible; she felt as if she would explode if Luigi didn't say something to her. But he didn't, and she ended up surviving the tortuous walk with just a thread of sanity left.

When the pair arrived, Catherine was there to greet them. "Hey guys!" She flagged them down to the back of the tent, where they were loading the last of the Ostros into carriers. "We're just finishing loading up here, then we're moving out. Got everything?"

"Yep!" Daisy said with a strained smile. Catherine didn't seem to notice, and turned to Luigi.

"Luigi, Goomb here'll show you where you'll be staying." She gestured to a fierce looking Goomba that neither of them had noticed before. "And Daisy, you'll be staying with the girls."

As Catherine led Daisy away, Luigi found himself staring down into the murderous eyes of Goomb. The creature didn't say a word, but turned and quickly strode from the tent, assuming that Luigi would follow behind.

"Err… Where are we going?" He asked when it seemed like they had been walking forever. Goomb stopped and sighed.

"Didn't they tell you?" Luigi shook his head. "We's stay in the back." He resumed his hasty pace, not waiting for Luigi.

The back of the train? Now that he thought about it, they had passed dozens of cars already. There were all kinds of people coming and going out of them, beautifully dressed Birdos and Koopas with instrument cases scurrying around, and a few Toads trying to organize the destructive scene. Yoshis were lifting heavy boxes into the cars, trying to look out for the last of the Goombas jumping into the train.

When they finally arrived at the second to last car on the train, an alarming scene was there to greet them. A loud screeching was coming from inside the car, and Yoshis were surrounding it, trying to quiet the awful noise any way they could think of.

"Move it," Goomb ordered to the Yoshis, and they quickly opened a path for him. "These guys, they think they can handle these birds," Goomb said to Luigi as he hopped into the car.

The entire car was frenzied, with Ostro feathers everywhere, and the birds squawking and attempting to escape from their confined space. None of it bothered Goomb though, as he grabbed one Ostros lead and forced it into the side of the car, where a tying post was situated. He then continued to do this with the rest of them, until everything was calm once again. The Yoshis cheered, then quickly left the area, still needing to get the rest of the train packed.

"See? Like that," Goomb told Luigi. When the Goomba turned back around and began sweeping all of the loose feathers out of the box, Luigi stood there, baffled. "Are you coming on?" Goomb asked, glancing over at the younger Mario.

Luigi nodded, throwing his suitcase up and climbing into the car. "Are-" He sneezed. Just great, these Ostros were going to kill him.

"This room is for us," Goomb explained. Luigi just sighed as he picked up another broom and began sweeping out the car.

* * *

When Daisy stepped into the girls' rooms for the first time, it was as if she were transported into a movie. There was one room for their beds and personal items, then a connecting car just for preparing to go on stage.

Once she had thrown her bags onto a vacant bed, she set to work on exploring the second car. It was filled with all kinds of costumes made of spandex and silk, and a large dressing table pushed to one side, topped with ribbons and lace of all colors.

A young woman sat at the dressing table, idly brushing her long brown hair. It wasn't until Daisy knocked a box of ribbons to the floor while trying to make a hasty escape that the woman looked up.

"Oh, hi. You must be my replacement," She said, setting the brush down.

So this is the Ostro performer? Daisy thought as she looked the girl over. Nothing appeared to be wrong with her, so why was she being replaced? She must have noticed Daisy's stare because she smiled and stood up.

"I'm Elaine, nice to meet you,"

"Daisy," She replied. "So, uh, if you don't mind me asking, why did you quit? This seems like such an amazing place…" Elaine laughed, and settled herself back into the chair.

"I'm pregnant, actually," Daisy's eyes flew to Elaine's stomach, where her hand was resting tenderly. "Carver told me that I could keep my job here, but I'd at least have to give it up for the time being."

"That's understandable," Daisy mused.

A baby would be a lot of responsibility for a single woman. That is, she was assuming that Elaine was single, judging from the fact that she had no ring on her finger. But as she noticed Elaine's contented expression, she wondered what it would be like to raise a beautiful baby princess.

"So tell me all about the Ostros and what my job will be?" Daisy asked, drawing Elaine into a conversation about her prized flock of birds.

* * *

The sound of the explosion from Princess Peach's castle was heard from miles away. Toads scattered about, like little ants attempting to outrun a magnifying glass as Bowser fired another shot at the palace. The Princess herself wasn't even inside, making the entire endeavor pointless anyway, but King Koopa liked making big entrances.

When he flew his clown copter over the gardens and spotted her royal highness trying to blend with a rose bush, though, he seized the opportunity to capture her quickly. Not a single Toad noticed as he swept Peach into his clown car and flew away, leaving Bowser Jr. to finish up with the castle and it's inhabitants.

"Good afternoon, Princess," Bowser said with a devious grin.

* * *

A/N: I'm so happy with this chapter! With summer finally here I feel like I've got the motivation to get this done, but we'll see how that goes. Please don't forget to review! It really helps motivate me when I read your lovely reviews!

Also, for those of you who are old school gamers like myself, I would check out this amazing soundtrack called 'Super Mario Compact Disco'. I don't know how to describe it… it's like, NES/SNES Mario game songs remixed with an early 90's hip hop feel. Just Google it!


	6. Inner Turmoil

A/N: Hey, I'm surprised I got this done as quickly as I did! Well, quick for me at least. I don't own Mario! But I do own a cool Mario Bros. Dixie cup dispenser! …For some reason. :P

Brave New World

Chapter Six: Inner Turmoil

* * *

The train rumbled down the track, it's course set for the nearby Twilight Town. Outside the scenery flickered by, catching Daisy's eye and drawing her into her own world. She hadn't spoken to Luigi since last night when the train left Rougeport, and she couldn't stop replaying yesterday's scene in her mind. It wasn't in her nature to be so brooding though, and the urge to seek him out and pound some understanding into him was strong.

_Doesn't he see that we'd be perfect together? That we already _are _perfect together?_

What she needed was for him to stop thinking so much, and make it easier for her to draw him out and get him to see what was already right in front of them. There was no doubt in her mind that he cared about her the way that she realized she cared about him. He was the only one who took the time to see past the façade she set up that comes with being royalty. And it wasn't **because** she was royalty that he'd done so. He cared enough about her to leave his brother behind and run away with her. Wasn't that love?

Outside the sky grew dim, and one of the girls turned a lamp on behind her.

Then again, what did she know about love? Royalty wasn't allowed to love. Or, according to her father, it came after marriage. She tried to imagine herself married to Peasley, but the image just wouldn't come. He seemed like a nice guy, judging from the few times they'd met at negotiations, but he just wasn't for her. With their overbearing attitudes, Daisy knew they'd butt heads constantly.

The prick of the tailor's needle brought Daisy back to the girls' room. It wasn't much, especially considering the lavish surroundings she was used to. There were two sets of bunk beds on either side of the car, along with two single beds in the remaining space. Aside from that, all the girls' personal belongings were in the next car.

Daisy had been excited at the prospect of a bunk bed, so one of the Birdos had graciously given her the top bunk, settling for one of the lower ones. She'd had a blast last night.

This afternoon they hadn't done much, though. Catherine had told her that the train would stop this evening in Twilight Town, so everyone was lazing around until they arrived. Daisy was spending her time getting fitted for her costume, a beautiful red and gold sequined outfit.

"Did I hurt you?" The elderly Toad who was pinning her costume asked. The woman was stout, with a kind face and gentle eyes. She was so tiny that she had to stand on a stool to reach Daisy's shoulders.

"Oh, of course not!" Daisy shook her head. After years of having her outfits custom made it hardly bothered her anymore.

"So Daisy," Elaine started. "Carver is probably going to want you to perform in Twilight Town. Just to see how it goes, you know?" Daisy nodded. "So let's go over a few things, okay?" Elaine said, before launching into a very long and tedious explanation about the nature and habits of Ostros.

* * *

"Peach, my darling! I have a gift for you!"

"Keep it," Peach said coolly, and turned away from her Koopa captor.

It had been two days since Peach had been captured by Bowser, and she was sure that by now Mario must know that she was missing. She hadn't seen Daisy anywhere in the castle either, but that didn't mean she wasn't around here somewhere. She hadn't exactly had a chance to search thoroughly being under 24-hour surveillance by Bowser's most trusted minions.

An undercover Koopa Troopa had sent a letter to Mario for her, explaining where they were, and the details involving Daisy. She just hoped that Mario would reach her soon; she couldn't take much more of Bowser's 'gifts'.

The pitter patter of Koopaling feet made Peach turn, and she spotted Bowser Jr. leaping out of his father's arms and running towards her. "Mama!" He shouted, throwing his tiny arms around her legs. Peach smiled, leaning down to accept the Koopaling's hug and pick him up. After all, it wasn't his fault that he had the evil Koopa King for a father. Peach had actually grown quite fond of the little Koopalings, when they weren't attempting to hurt Mario or herself.

"How are you today?" Peach asked Bowser Jr., who struggled in her grasp and jumped out of her arms.

"See- Told you you'd like the gift," Bowser interrupted. Peach gave him a sideways glance before returning her attention to Bowser Jr..

"Lemmy says the circus is coming to town! Will you take us, Mama?"

"We'll all go!" Bowser exclaimed, and Bowser Jr. let out a cry of exasperation at his father.

"But, we wanted to spend time with Mama…" He explained, refusing to look his father in the eye for fear of punishment. Bowser was silent, more hurt than angry that his children didn't want to spend time with him as well.

"…Fine!" He roared. "But you can't let anything happen to her!" He said, pointing a claw at Peach.

"Yes sir!" Bowser Jr. exclaimed, saluting his father animatedly.

Peach tried to hide the smile forming on her lips when the two Koopas turned to look at her. They had just given her the perfect opportunity to escape! With just the Koopalings coming along, it shouldn't be too hard to outsmart them. Already a plan was formulating in her mind and she asked Bowser Jr., "When is it, exactly?" Trying not to appear too eager.

"Oh, not till next week," Bowser Jr. explained happily.

_Well… that'll work. _Peach mentally sighed. _So if Mario hasn't come for me by next week, I'll just have to escape myself. No problem… right?_

* * *

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Luigi berated himself. He was in his corner of his and Goomb's car, sitting cross-legged on the blanket he had spread on the cold steel floor.

The trip had given him plenty of time to think, and he realized that he had to apologize to Daisy for being such an idiot. Poor Daisy, not only was she running away from an unwanted marriage, but he had to go and push her away too! He wouldn't be surprised if she ordered him back to Toad Town after this. Luigi paced the small area of the car as he pondered the best course of action at this point.

"Will you not do that? It makes me sick to watch," Goomb scolded him. Luigi sighed and stopped the offending action, settling instead for anxiously running a hand through his hair. "What?" Goomb demanded, his scowl growing deeper as waited for Luigi's reply.

Luigi's words were contemplative as he asked, "Goomb? Do you know anything about women?" He watched as Goomb looked up from the Ostro he was coddling, and faced Luigi with a serious expression.

"Where Goomb comes from, he was very popular," He stated, full of pride. "Women like pretty things. Buy nice gift for her," Luigi didn't think that a gift was going to help his predicament at all, but he still appreciated the effort. Maybe Goomb wasn't as scary as he appeared at first glance, after all.

"…Thanks, Goomb." The surly Goomba's only acknowledgement was a nod. "…Why are we stopping?" Luigi asked as the train jerked to a halt.

"We must be at Twilight Town," Goomb informed him, jumping up from his place near the Ostros and brushing the feathers from himself. Luigi blinked in confusion as Goomb slid open the door to their car and hopped down.

All the other passengers seemed to be thinking the same thing, judging from the commotion outside. Luigi peaked around the edge of the car, watching as the rough Yoshi workers chatted easily with the glittering performers. Not knowing what else to do, he followed Goomb's lead, jumping down from the car, and sliding the door back shut, not wanting the ruckus to frighten the birds any more than they already were.

Twilight Town was just as he remembered it, right down to the depressed-looking townspeople. A few had seen the train pull in and were standing along the outskirts of the train watching with wide eyes. Paired with the darkening sky, the scene gave Luigi a ominous feeling, but he quickly pushed it away.

_I suppose I'd better find Daisy, _Luigi thought as he carefully maneuvered through the boisterous crowd. He stuck close to the train, avoiding the crowd as best as he could while making his way towards the front of the succession. From what Goomb had told him on the trip, the higher up you were in the show, the higher up you were on the train. He assumed that the girls were pretty high up in both respects, then.

After reaching the middle of the train, he finally spotted one of the Birdos in the thinning crowd. He didn't remember her name, but he recognized her as one of Catherine's gang. The red Birdo was obviously waiting for someone, as she was continuously glancing around the area and tapping her foot impatiently. She didn't notice Luigi as he approached at first, too caught up in examining her fingernails with a sigh.

"Excuse me?" Luigi asked, and the woman spun around to face him. Disappointment was obvious in her expression when she saw who it was.

"Oh, hi. Are you looking for Catherine?" She asked, her attention only half on Luigi as she spoke.

"No, actually I'm trying to find Daisy."

"Ooh, I see. Well I think she just went looking for you, too," The Birdo laughed at their expense. "She's around here somewhere," She said, gesturing at the crowd around them. It was then that she spotted the person she had apparently been looking for, a tall yellow Yoshi who was shoving his way through the crowd towards her. "Oh, sorry I can't help you out, but I've gotta go!" She exclaimed, smiling sympathetically at Luigi, then rushing into the arms of her Yoshi lover.

Luigi sighed. Of course Daisy would take off through this crazy bunch of circus workers. He'd already spotted more than one shady-looking character lurking in the shadows, and who knew what that crazy old Magikoopa running around wanted.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he turned back around, backtracking the way he'd come from. Scanning the crowd for Daisy didn't prove too difficult, seeing as there weren't many humans aboard the train to begin with.

He still managed to jump a foot when Daisy appeared at his side with a shout. "Hey, there you are!" She grinned, taking his arm. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"So I've heard," Luigi sighed, glancing at the bubbly princess.

"So Catherine says that we need to go see Carver. He's somewhere near the head of the train," Daisy told Luigi, tugging him back the opposite way once again. Luigi nodded and let Daisy lead them through the crowd, who decided to push right through the middle instead of sticking to the edges as he had done.

It didn't take long to reach the front of the train with Daisy propelling them efficiently through the sea of cargo that was being unloaded. They heard the Magikoopa Carver before they saw him, his accented voice loud above the chattering of the workforce.

"What are you doing? We need to set up the tents before you unload that! Put it back!" He shouted. Noticing Daisy out of the corner of his eye, Carver's demeanor changed completely, and he approached the pair with a smile.

"Ah, there you are, my beautiful star! And, Mr. Luigi," He said rather plainly to Luigi. Daisy nearly curtseyed to the man, but caught herself before she slipped. If he noticed, he chose not to comment as he said, "You, my dear, just relax while we get everything situated here," He waved his staff around casually. "And Mr. Luigi, your job will be to get the Ostros prepared to be taken off the stock car, yes? That… err, Goomba, he can show you what to do." Luigi nodded, and Carver shooed them off with a flick of his staff.

"Thank you, Mr. Carver!" Daisy shouted across the crowd as he walked away. He raised a scaly claw in response, but didn't bother turning to acknowledge her.

Luigi's feet were beginning to hurt as they walked back to the other end of the train. How many times had it been now? He nearly forgot about Daisy's presence behind him until she tugged on his jacket sleeve impatiently.

"Do you mind if I come with you? Everyone else kinda took off."

"Of course not," Luigi was surprised that she would even think to ask.

"Good," She grinned, "Because I would have just followed you anyway."

Luigi rolled his eyes at her, "Turning my own words against me now?" Daisy just laughed in response.

This time Luigi led the way back to the second-to-last car on the train, and slid the door open. He stepped aside, helping Daisy into the car first before jumping up himself. The Ostros squawked worriedly at their arrival, and Luigi hastily shut the door to calm them.

Daisy quickly made herself comfortable, sitting cross-legged on Luigi's makeshift bed, while Luigi glanced around the room hoping that Goomb had come back.

"So you're actually **staying** with the Ostros?" Daisy asked. She leaned back on her hands, looking up at Luigi as he attempted to clean up the mess of feathers littering the floor.

"Unfortunately," He said after a sneeze. Once decently satisfied with the floor, Luigi sat on the blanket next to her with a sigh. "Are you okay staying with those Birdos? They aren't being rude to you or anything? Because you could always just stay here if they're making you feel uncomfortable, or if you want I can go talk to Carver about-"

"Calm down, Luigi! I'm fine," Luigi looked unconvinced, and Daisy fought to hide the grin on her face from him.

She failed miserably though, and Luigi looked flustered and confused as he asked, "Are you laughing at me?"

"No way!" Daisy shook her head, holding back her laughter. Did he have to have such an adorable embarrassed expression?

"What did I do?"

"Nothing, stop worrying so much, Luigi!" Luigi scoffed in response, and Daisy laughed as she flung herself backwards onto the bed. "…Luigi?" She asked softly, and the mood in the tiny boxcar changed entirely. "Do you think that everyone is worried about us?"

"I'm sure they are," He said thoughtlessly. "Why? Did you want to go back?"

Of course she did. But not for her father. And not to marry Peasley, that was for sure. She desperately missed Peach, and the company only another female could provide. With all this turmoil building up inside about Luigi, she could really use another girl to talk to.

"…Daisy?" She blinked, looking up from her spot on the floor. "We could still go back, if it's what you want."

Daisy shook her head and took Luigi's ungloved hand that was near her side, running her fingertips along his palm. "I'm fine," She smiled up at him.

Luigi was just beginning to relax enough to feel comfortable with Daisy's need for attention when the car's door was thrown open and Goomb walked in looking very annoyed, as usual.

"Why is no one here smart?" He snarled before he noticed Daisy. "Oh."

Luigi appeared to hesitate before introducing them, "Goomb… this is Daisy," She sat up as Goomb offered a gruff hello.

"Nice to meet you," She grinned, thoroughly amused with the cranky Goomba.

"Well… I guess I should see if the girls need help with anything," Daisy said, returning her gaze to the man in front of her. "I'll come see you tonight!" With that familiar warm feeling in her chest, Daisy placed a gentle kiss on Luigi's cheek before he could react. She dared one last fleeting look at Luigi as she leapt through the still-open door, grinning all the while.

Luigi stared unblinking at the doorway that Daisy had just left through, his mind in a whirl. What was going on with that woman? He would never understand the way her mind worked.

A well-timed sarcastic comment from Goomb made him flush and quickly move to prepare the Ostros to be taken off the train, pushing all thoughts of Daisy and that bewildering kiss to the back of his mind.

* * *

Mario arrived at the castle, fully prepared to spend the afternoon in the company of his beautiful princess. What he wasn't prepared for was to find her in the clutches of the very Koopa he had just parted with, and half the castle blown to pieces. He was informed by Toadsworth of exactly what happened, and practically begged to go back for her, even though he had already planned on doing just that.

"Don't worry, Toadsworth," Mario appeased the elderly Toad, "I'll have **her **back, at least," He said with a grin.

"Yes, well… I certainly hope so," Toadsworth said, not finding the situation humorous at all. "I'll be off, then, attempting to convince King Sarasa not to cut ties to the Mushroom Kingdom completely."

Mario only sighed, returning home to repack before setting off for Bowser's castle once again. Why did this always happen to him?

* * *

A/N: Okay, so how was it? The next chapter is definitely going to be more exciting, trust me! I've got lots of Koopa craziness and Daisy's first performance planned. :D Don't forget to review, please, because it really inspires me to write more! And you want that, don't you?


	7. Seeing Red

A/N: Ahh, my life has been really hectic lately, sorry! I had time to finish this sooner, but not the modivation, so here it is just a little late! So just this week I got my senior pictures done, went to the zoo, did a 3-day outdoor school as a counselor, and then tomorrow I've got a dentist appointment and my birthday party. :/ So hopefully the next chapter will be out way faster than this one was.

Brave New World

Chapter Seven: Seeing Red

* * *

"That's perfect, Daisy!" Elaine shouted to Daisy from her place outside the ring. As soon as the big top was functional Elaine had dragged her newest student out for some practice, and after stopping by the tent and watching Daisy go a few times around the ring Carver had decided that she was to perform on opening night.

Daisy was ecstatic, of course, that Carver had deemed her decent enough to appear on stage, but _she_ didn't think that she was good enough yet. She and Elaine had been practicing all morning and Daisy was still having trouble remembering which signals to give the Ostros when. Hopefully by next week she would have them down, and not make too much of a fool out of herself onstage.

Elaine must have known that she was getting frustrated because she called, "Alright, that's good for now," and gestured to the pack of Ostros who immediately headed for the back of the tent. "Let's go get some lunch, huh?" Elaine asked Daisy, who nodded and jumped off her perch atop the lead bird.

"Just what I was thinking."

The two women quickly got the animals secured in their pins and headed for the food tents that were already set up. Though it was already past noon, the area was still packed with all sorts of employees chatting and enjoying their food. As they waited in line Daisy scanned the crowd for Luigi, hoping to find him at one of the crowded tables. She didn't find him though, and after receiving their food the girls sat down at the most secluded table they could find.

Elaine leaned in, her eyes glittering mischievously as she attempted to hide her smile. "What?" Daisy asked after swallowing a mouthful of food. She frowned as Elaine shifted her gaze to a point behind Daisy's head.

"It's just, I can't figure out why you two are here," She explained, picking at her lunch. When Daisy didn't respond immediately, she continued. "You're pretty, and he seems capable enough, so why are you _here_?" A burly Toad walked past their table, greeting Elaine in passing.

"I'm sure our reasons are about the same as yours, Elaine," Daisy said quickly, using the distraction as an excuse to avoid the question entirely.

"Are you-" She paused, glancing quickly around the table. "pregnant?" The question shocked Daisy into silence, and Elaine took it as a yes. "So, what happened? He knocked you up, then couldn't find a steady job, so you guys came here?"

"What? Are you kidding me?" Daisy looked horrified. "Luigi and I aren't like that!" She glared at embarrassment at Elaine, who just laughed at her expression. Changing the subject not so subtly, she asked, "So what about you? How'd you end up here?"

"Oh, it's no big deal really; my parents kicked me out when I was 18," She replied, taking a bite of her food. "I started working here when the circus passed by, and I've been with them ever since," She said, smiling fondly at the memories. "And before you ask, the guy who knocked me up doesn't work here," She said it in such a pleasant tone that Daisy nearly missed the hint of sadness behind it.

"How… did you meet him?" She asked. By then the rest of the tables around them were nearly empty, and Elaine and Daisy were alone in their secluded corner of the area.

"Well," Elaine began, "I was working as the Ostro girl at the time, and at one of our performances I spotted this beautiful man in the audience," She smiled wistfully, placing a hand over her swollen stomach. "He was watching me through the entire performance, and after the show he confronted me. So… here I am!" Daisy remained silent, taking in Elaine's serene expression.

"That's it?" Daisy asked, the look on her face saying that she clearly didn't understand. "He just disappeared, never to be heard from again? How is that even _possible_?"

Elaine stared down at her nearly empty Styrofoam plate, picking at it with her plastic fork. "I did think about trying to find him, but what's the point? I'll have this baby; that's good enough for me."

She looked so happy; Daisy couldn't help but smile back. But she still couldn't understand Elaine's reasoning. How could she be so happy when the man who she was obviously infatuated with wasn't even around to help her raise their child? Daisy knew that she would never be satisfied with just that. She wanted it all, even if it took her a lifetime to achieve.

* * *

"Would you like some more tea, Princess?" The eldest Koopaling, Ludwig von Koopa, asked. The two of them, along with Wendy and Bowser Jr., were enjoying a nice afternoon tea break in the courtyard. Beyond the group, the rest of the Koopalings played, chasing one another across the open yard.

"Oh, no thank you, Ludwig," Peach responded serenely. She glanced down at the Koopaling in her lap. "What about you, Junior?"

He made a pinched face at the question. "No way, that stuff was gross!"

"That's because you don't have, like, refined tastes," Wendy criticized, taking a sip of her own tea, attempting to mimic Peach's lady-like manners.

"And you do?" Ludwig replied instinctively. Wendy glared at her brother, preparing a retort of her own, when the doors to the courtyard were thrown open and Bowser's large form appeared in the doorway.

"What's going on here?" He bellowed. With the Koopalings surrounding her nearly quivering with fear from their father's demanding tone, Peach watched as the great Koopa King stormed towards their small gathering.

"Tea," Ludwig said blandly. "Would you like some?"

Bowser appeared startled for a moment before snapping back to reality and shaking his head. "I wasn't invited," He explained with such a surly expression that Peach had to fight to keep the smile off her face.

"That would be an invitation, Bowser," She said, gesturing to an empty chair. "Please, join us." Bowser narrowed his eyes, sitting slowly in the chair. "The only reason I didn't invite you is because I didn't think you'd enjoy it," Peach explained while pouring a cup of tea and setting it in front of him.

"Of course I would," He said defiantly, taking a large drink of the tea set before him. Making the same pinched face as Junior, he sputtered, slamming the teacup back on the table. Amazingly, the cup didn't break from the harsh treatment and only rattled, along with the rest of the table as Bowser clutched the end of the table, spitting his tea all over the grass. Peach held her tongue, but the Koopalings openly laughed at their father, infuriating him further.

"That's it, everyone to your rooms!" Bowser shouted. Still sniggering, the Koopalings scurried through the open courtyard doors. Once they were gone Bowser turned to glare at Peach, who was still seated at the table, her teacup poised delicately between two hands. "You too, Princess." He growled.

Peach sighed and set her teacup in it's saucer before rising to her feet. With Bowser's stare nearly searing a hole in her back, she followed the Koopaling's example and left through the large double doors.

With her heels clicking loudly in the empty corridor, Peach waited until she turned the corner before breaking into a near-run. Though Bowser seemed intent on destroying any sort of fun she could create for the Koopalings, Peach wouldn't give up yet. Soon Mario would come for her, and she wouldn't be allowed to visit these darling children again.

"Mama!" Peach grinned as she noticed Bowser Jr. beaconing her to an open doorway, Roy and Wendy close behind.

* * *

It was time. She had been practicing for two weeks straight, and Carver had deemed her decent enough to appear onstage. Even so, Daisy couldn't stop the fluttering in her stomach as she looked over her team of Ostros. Each one had a feathered headpiece that Elaine had shown her how to carefully strap to each bird's head that matched her red and gold sequined outfit.

"Ooh! I don't think I can do this!" Daisy shouted, frightening all the birds surrounding her. Elaine clicked her tongue at Daisy, then hushed the Ostros. "No, really!"

Even giving speeches to all of Sarasaland hadn't been this nerve-wracking. But that was probably because she was their Princess; it was basically required that they love her. But what was she to all of these people? Just a silly form of entertainment for the night. Her stomach churned at the thought.

She straightened her outfit and fussed over her hair until Elaine had to grab her hands to stop her. "Listen! It'll be okay, I promise. Just remember all the things we went over. If-" A loud crashing came from the back of the tent, drawing both girls' attention away. Luigi rounded the corner, looking bashful as he made his way toward Daisy.

"You'll be okay, Daisy," With one final pat on the shoulder, Elaine quickly fled the scene.

"Err… hey, Daisy," Luigi began. "I brought you something, for good luck." He pulled a red rose out from behind his back, holding the flower out to Daisy.

"Ooh," She gasped, "It's beautiful!" The petals were silky smooth, and such a vibrant red that Daisy sure she'd never seen a rose so beautiful. With care not to muse her hair too much, Luigi took the flower and tucked it neatly behind her ear. It matched her costume nearly perfectly.

"There, you're perfect," Luigi smiled, and Daisy felt her heart stop. And this time when Daisy leaned in to thank Luigi, he didn't pull away; he laced his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

It was only when Carver yelled at her to prepare for her entrance that the spell was broken, and he pulled abruptly away. "I should get the Dinos ready…" Luigi said, his voice thick.

"Right," Daisy responded, glancing around to see if anyone was watching them. "I… I have to go on soon," She said, even though Luigi had heard Carver just as well as she had. "I'll see you later?" Luigi smiled that beautiful smile of his and Daisy grinned back, knowing that everything was right in the world in that moment.

"Daisy! What is going on?" Carver shouted, rounding the corner in exasperation. He was dressed in a top hat and a brightly colored suit, waving his staff at any workers who weren't doing their job; at the moment Daisy.

"Good luck, Daisy," Luigi told her, fleeing the scene as well as he could without getting noticed. She wondered whether he meant with Carver or tonight's performance.

"I'm sorry, I was fixing the Ostro's headpiece," She told the angry Magikoopa, who just glared at her wearily. The bird next to her squawked, as if confirming her statement, and Daisy patted the creature's neck.

"Well hurry up, you go on next." She watched as Carver hurried away, off to harass more performers who were slacking on their duties.

"He must be under a lot of stress," She said to the Ostros at her side. _She _was under a lot of stress. And when she heard the crowd cheering for the group of Birdo performers, Elaine appeared at her side, prodding her towards the lead Ostro.

"Don't worry, Daisy. Just go out there and do exactly like I told you," Elaine told her, but Daisy wasn't listening. On the other side of the tent the crowd's exuberant cheering signified the end of the Birdos' act. Sucking in a deep breath, she waited for Carver's accented voice to announce her to the crowd. "Daisy?"

Turning to her extremely pregnant friend, Daisy put up her strongest front. "Are you really so worried about me, Ellie? I'm a big girl, I can do it," She laughed, patting Elaine on the shoulder and hopping up on the lead Ostro.

Elaine nodded, petting the bird's head. "I know you're more than capable," She said as Carver's introduction began. "Never mind, it's time to go on! Good luck!" Elaine shouted to Daisy as she disappeared towards the opening of the ring.

Daisy turned from her perch on the Ostro and saluted her teacher, leading her team of Ostriches out into the cheering ring.

* * *

In the crowded, hectic work area in the back of the tent Luigi paced, waiting for Goomb to bring the Dino Rhinos out of their pins. Though he was trying very hard to focus on his current job, his mind just kept coming back to Daisy. Behind him, a pair of large Koopa Troopas shoved past, carrying props for the next act. The next act. The one after Daisy's. Luigi groaned, wishing that Goomb would show up already.

He spun on his heel, getting ready to pace the opposite direction when through the sea of performers and workers he spotted a tiny crack in the tent. A few Toads were gathered, watching the performance happening on the other side of the thin material.

Luigi glanced around the tent, making sure Goomb wasn't on his way over yet, before nonchalantly walking over to the small gathering. "The princess is performing?" He asked the Toads, trying to get a peek through the curtain. He saw a flash of red and pink and heard the crowd go wild.

"Princess? She sure looks like it, don't she?" One of the Toad's laughed, leering at her through the thin space. "Just lookit that body," He said, prodding one of his buddies.

Luigi's skin prickled just hearing them refer to her in that tone. "Alright, why don't you get back to work." He told them, his concern for Daisy emboldening him. The Toads eyed him, sizing him up, and then looked back at Daisy through the small crack.

"Yeah, alright." One of them sneered, "I guess you think she's yours, seein' as you been hangin' off her lately?" He scoffed, and all the other Toads followed suit, snickering at Luigi.

Feeling his temper flare, something that didn't happen often with him, Luigi held his ground. "Now just a minute-" There were shouts and screams as a huge Dino Rhino came charging straight for Luigi and the obnoxious Toads.

With wide eyes, they all managed to jump out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding the large creature who went barreling through the thin tent material and straight into the ring where Daisy was performing.

"Daisy!" Luigi shouted, watching as she looked up at the Dino Rhino who streaking towards her. Paralyzed momentarily by fear, she didn't react immediately, and Luigi shouted at her again. Luigi jumped to his feet, only to be held back by Goomb who had appeared behind him.

"Wait," Goomb instructed. He knew how to calm the terrified creature, but it was impossible in their current circumstances. Goomb decided that it was best just to let Daisy handle the situation, especially since the children in the crowd hadn't realized that this wasn't part of the act. Their parents had, of course, and were all holding their breath in terror as they watched the scene unfolding before them.

With the Dino Rhino stomping around the ring, all the Ostros surrounding Daisy scattered. She was left with just the one she was on, although the poor thing was to petrified to even move. Thinking as quickly as she could, she scanned the area for anything that she could use to get the beast away from the crowd. Nothing called out to her, so Daisy did the only thing she could think of; she looked the Dino right in the eye, and once he circled around once more she lept off of her Ostro and onto the Dino Rhino's back. The crowd cheered, mainly because she managed to land gracefully on the huge beast's back, and didn't kill herself in the process. Free of it's rider, the lone Ostro followed it's comrades and bolted from the scene.

Now Daisy was in a dilemma, she realized. She was trapped on a Dino Rhino's back with no way to get it under control and tons of people nearby to get hurt. As the world spun around in circles around her, Daisy closed her eyes and leaned forward, talking quietly with the beast in an attempt to calm him. He did have on some type of halter, Daisy realized, and she reached down as far as she could to feel for a lead of some kind.

The Dino Rhino roared as she managed to grab hold of it's lead that was dangling below it's neck. She pulled as hard as she could to one side, using a trick that Elaine had taught her to calm the Ostros. She only prayed that it would work on Dino Rhinos too.

After a few more circles around the ring, this time under Daisy's lead, the Dino Rhino began to slow down. Exhausted, Daisy grinned and waved to the crowd, then lead the Dino towards Goomb and Luigi, who were waiting at the opening of the back side of the tent.

As Goomb waited patiently for Daisy to reach them, Luigi continued to fret. "How'd you manage to let that thing escape in the first place, Goomb?" The foreign Goomba looked up at Luigi, but didn't say anything at first.

"Carver does not put up with fighting. I wanted you to stay," He said calmly, taking the lead from Daisy as she made it to the door. That made Luigi think for a moment, and he nearly fell over when Daisy threw herself into his arms. Goomb ignored them, leading the Dino Rhino away as Daisy sighed.

"I thought I was gonna die," She told him, all of her energy drained.

"_I _thought you were gonna die," He responded, and Daisy laughed, her mind still far away.

Pulling herself out of Luigi's grasp, Daisy checked her outfit. Nothing appeared to be ripped, which was good; she'd hate to put that nice little Toad woman back to work on her account. But running her fingers through her hair, she noticed the flower Luigi had given her was gone. She promptly burst into tears.

"Oh Luigi, I-I'm sorry!" She cried, the stress of the evening setting in.

Luigi froze, still not comfortable with soothing her. "How about I go ask Carver if I can take you back to your room for the night?" Daisy nodded, sitting herself down on an upturned crate. As soon as Luigi was gone Elaine was by her side, crouching down beside her.

"Daisy, are you alright? We got the Ostros all rounded up, nobody's hurt," Elaine explained. Daisy nodded, though Elaine wasn't sure what she was responding to.

"I'm going back to my room, is that alright? I'm done for tonight, right?" Daisy asked, attempting to clear her mind of the incident. Elaine gave her the okay to go ahead, so without waiting for Luigi to get back, she left for her room.

_

* * *

_

_I hope this letter finds you well, though I have one small request, if I may ask it of you. This farce is beginning to wear on me, and I have no choice but to ask you to try and make haste in your pursuit, for everyone's sake. I myself have found happiness in this place, and can only wish the same for you too._

* * *

Though she shared a room with all the other girls, nobody had come back in the 20 minutes that Daisy was curled up in her bed. She had immediately changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed, clutching her most prized possession to her chest. It was Luigi's hat, which she'd kept since they had left Toad Town.

It wasn't fair that everything had to turn so ugly just when everything was going so right, Daisy thought to herself. She was just beginning to make progress; her first performance was supposed to be amazing! And although nobody had outright blamed her for it, she could see the look in their eyes saying that she should have stopped all of it from happening.

She laid in silence, feeling sorry for herself until the door to the train car slid open and Luigi stood in the doorway. "What are you doing?" She asked him, sitting up and hiding his hat under her pillow. Her snappish tone made him lose his courage, and Luigi quickly turned to walk back out. "No, wait! I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry. It's just… a lot to handle in one night," She said, waving him back inside. "Come back!" Daisy huffed, patting the spot beside her on the bed.

Luigi hesitated at the doorway, not wanting to get caught in here alone with her by any of the other girls. After a moment of indecision, he sat down beside her, and glanced over nervously.

"Daisy…" He began.

"Hmm?" She asked, picking at a loose string on the blanket thrown across her lap.

"You aren't going to… you know, try and seduce me or anything, right?" Daisy burst out laughing.

"You honestly think I'd need to try?"

* * *

A/N: There may be a few mistakes in this chapter, I didn't get a chance to thorougly edit, so if you see anything please let me know! And don't forget to review, please! :)


	8. Cliché Romantic Date

A/N: There's really no reason that this chapter was so late… I wrote practically the whole chapter back in October, and then just kind of lost interest for a while… But the good news is that this is my longest chapter to date! It's nearly 4000 words!

Brave New World

Chapter Eight: Cliché Romantic Date

* * *

Mario's carefully groomed mustache fluttered in the chilly night wind, and he pulled his thick red jacket tighter around him. He was currently trekking through the frozen wasteland that surrounded the Fahr Outpost, on his way back to Bowser's castle in the Darklands for the second time now—and hopefully the last.

It had to be close by now, Mario thought. Letting out a shallow breath, he felt the hairs of his mustache starting to freeze over. _Great. _He was certain that Fahr Outpost was just over those hills up ahead, though, and the thought of a nice warm bowl of soup in the cozy inn spurred him on.

After what seemed like hours to the frozen plumber, the shining lights of Fahr Outpost came into view and in another minute he entered the perimeter of the town. He was immediately recognized by the local Bob-ombs, and ushered to the inn to receive a room—free of charge, of course.

"Mario, it's you! Gone on any grand adventures lately? You'll have to tell us all about them later," The innkeeper said as he led Mario to a spare room. "How lucky you are to have happened into Fahr—there's someone here who's been asking after you."

That caught Mario's attention. Maybe it was someone with information on the missing princesses? "Who is it? Where are they?" He asked hastily, forgetting the need to thaw out his fingers and toes.

"Why, his room is right next to yours!" Laughed the innkeeper, handing Mario a card key to get into his room. "There's plenty of clean towels inside, and just come on down to the kitchen to get some dinner whenever you're ready." His job done, the innkeeper returned to his post at the front desk, leaving Mario to go about his business.

Though Mario was immensely curious to see just who had been asking about him, he decided that a nice warm shower was in order first, and entered his room to do just that. He tossed his lone bag onto the bed and grabbed some spare clothes and a towel, and went into the small bathroom provided.

As he waited for the water to heat up, Mario wondered what Peach was up to right now. Was she doing alright, trapped in a castle with the terrible Koopa King? After so many kidnappings she must be getting used to it; she probably knew his palace as well as her own. Was she being fed right? Was she even getting the luxury of a shower? Or was she thrown into the dungeon, cold and alone, waiting for him to take her back to her own land?

Mario showered quickly, feeling bad about wasting his time with one when Peach might not even get the opportunity for a shower. He got redressed and scooped up his towel to hang on a chair in the room, but when he opened the door he was greeted by a sight that he certainly wasn't expecting.

"Mario! How grand to meet up again!" His unpredicted guest greeted him. "Although the terms are a bit depressing… But anyway! How have you been?"

"Prince Peasley?" Mario tried to hide his shock as the Beanbean Prince stood, flashing his brilliant smile and bowing to him. "What are you doing here?"

Flipping a lock of his golden locks, Peasley responded, "I have been sent to assist you in your search for Princesses Peach and Daisy! King Sarasa is very anxious to see his daughter returned safely, and with Princess Peach also missing, I'm afraid the situation has become quite critical," he explained. "I assure you, I shall be nothing but useful in these dire times! You do recall that I am just as celebrated as you are in the Beanbean Kingdom?"

"Of… course."

Mario didn't really know how to react to the boisterous prince who had showed up in his hotel room, but if King Sarasa had sent him to help, then he had no choice to accept. Even if he knew that having the Beanbean prince along would be more of a hindrance than helpful to the situation.

* * *

It was the morning after Daisy's disaster of a first performance, and Luigi found himself awake oddly early. He had left Daisy's room once he was certain she was okay to help Goomb get the animals taken care of, and from there had gone to bed early himself. Last night had been such a draining experience that he had fallen asleep immediately; not even waking up when Goomb came in a few hours later.

He stretched, feeling his stiff muscles relax, and got up from his small bed on the floor. Goomb was still asleep on the opposite side of the car, and Luigi pondered what Goomb had told him yesterday. Would Carver had gotten rid of him and Daisy if he'd seen what was happening? It wasn't _his _fault that those two Toads were talking that way about Daisy. And though it touched him that Goomb did what he did because he wanted Luigi to remain with them, couldn't he have found some way to stop them from fighting other than setting a gigantic Dino Rhino loose in the middle of Daisy's performance?

He just hoped that Daisy wasn't too traumatized to perform tonight, or that he wouldn't see those two Toads again. Maybe he should go check on her, just to make sure she was alright…

Nodding decisively to himself, Luigi went about getting ready for the day, careful not to wake up his roommate. Once dressed, he slid the door open just enough to slip through, and jumped down from the train.

It was early, but not so early that there weren't people milling about, getting their jobs done early. He wondered if Daisy was even awake this early, or if any of the other girls she was sharing a room with were there. They hadn't been around when he'd left last night, but he knew they would surely be there now. He was almost scared to face such a huge group a females all at once—just Daisy was plenty of trouble to look after.

_Too late now, _he thought as he stopped in front of their door. Just as he was poised to knock, the door was thrown open and Catherine smirked down at him.

"Hey there, cutie. What'cha doin' here?" She asked, watching him so intently that he squirmed under her gaze. The woman—or rather, Birdo—had a backbone of steel. She was commonly seen squashing the hearts of any males who had the misfortune of becoming infatuated with her troop of girls. Which unfortunately happened quite often.

"Is Daisy up?" Catherine's smile grew even larger at that, and she turned back to the girls in the room, shutting the door in his face.

It reopened a minute later, this time a different Birdo standing in Catherine's place. "Yeah, come on in," She told him, and he could hear a chorus of giggles ensue. This is exactly what Luigi dreaded. He felt like he was entering Bowser's castle, unsure of what to make of his surroundings and it's inhabitants.

Though it certainly _smelled _nothing like Bowser's castle, he thought as the mixed scent of their perfumes and lotions assailed his nose. And the room certainly _looked_ nicer than Bowser's quarters, too. Though the space was as cramped as his and Goomb's car at the end of the train, they had neat rows of bunk beds lining the walls, and a small table tucked in one corner, making the space seem much larger than their Ostro-infested car.

It was on one of the top bunks that he spotted Daisy. She was clutching a pillow to her chest, looking decidedly uncomfortable with what was going on. He wasn't sure if it was his presence, or the fact that the Birdos were fluttering about that was causing her discomfort. It was probably a mixture of both, he decided as she finally turned her face toward his and looked down at him from her high perch.

"Did you need something?" She asked in a regal tone, one Luigi knew she only used when she was stressed out. Though after last night it was no surprise—he would be too if Goomb had sent a raging Dino Rhino after him.

"Do you want to do something today?" The question surprised not only Daisy, but Luigi too. He had only come here to check on her, not to invite her out on some sort of…date. All the Birdos squealed with excitement, and Luigi felt his cheeks redden, though Daisy looked excited at the prospect.

"Elaine?" Daisy asked, almost pleadingly. The older woman lifted her head from the letter she was writing to glance over at Daisy. "Are we doing anything today?"

Elaine smiled knowingly and shook her head. "Go ahead; you can have the afternoon off." She turned back to her letter, ignoring the ecstatic Birdos behind her. "Just be back before six," she added.

"Right," Daisy responded. She then grinned down at Luigi. "I would love do something with you today." She told him, watching his cheeks turn even redder. "Just give me some time to get ready. I'll meet you at your room, okay?"

That seemed reasonable enough, Luigi thought as he nodded. With a bit more cooing from the females in the room, he was finally granted permission to leave—and practically thrown out the door. He walked back in silence, contemplating just what he had gotten himself into this time.

He always acted like a fool when it came to her. But without Mario here, or Princess Peach, he felt like he could relax and just enjoy her company, regardless of that fact. Lately they hadn't gotten a lot of time together—what with her learning how to ride and perform on the Ostros, and him learning to care for the creatures that were housed here.

He almost felt like skipping all the way back to his room, but settled for humming his way there. The more he thought about it, the more worked up he was about his 'date' with Daisy. He'd take her to Twilight Town and show her around, maybe buy her something pretty to make up for his failed attempt at a gift last night.

Though Twilight Town wasn't exactly the most romantic place he could think of to take her to, it was all he had to work with at the moment. There weren't any other cities nearby, and even then they would have to trudge through the Twilight Trail to get there. Not something he was particularly in the mood to do, especially after the last forest they had traveled through. Last time he had been through Twilight Town there had been some interesting shops though… Maybe Daisy would like them?

With his mind currently preoccupied, Luigi hardly noticed that the car's door wide open, when he was sure that he closed it when he left. Mentally shrugging it off, he hopped into the train and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of Goomb waiting for him, looking surly, as usual.

"What are you up to?" He asked, eyeing Luigi carefully. He was holding a letter in his hand, Luigi noticed, and he could make out his name on the front. Following his gaze, Goomb looked down at the letter he was holding. "Oh, right. Mail came today. Here."

Luigi accepted the letter from his Goomba roommate, surprised to see that it was from E. Gadd. "Isn't he famous scientist?" Goomb asked.

"Err… yeah. We're old friends," Luigi explained carefully. He hadn't realized that E. Gadd was that famous. Of course he knew that Gadd had produced a few great inventions, but he didn't know that people actually paid attention to them.

"I see," was all Goomb had to say about the matter before turning his back on Luigi and returning to his side of the small car. Luigi paused. Wasn't he even the slightest bit curious? It was almost suspicious the way he didn't ask for more explanation than that. But before Luigi could think anymore on it Daisy appeared in the doorway, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Ready?" she said, hopping up into the car before he could offer her a hand up. "You don't mind that I'm stealing Luigi away for the day, right, Goomb?" The Goomba looked unsurprised.

"Today is alright, I can take care of things." Goomb responded without looking back at the pair. Luigi felt guilty; he was going to ask Goomb if it was alright himself, but Daisy beat him to the punch.

"I'll be back later to help, though," Luigi said to Goomb, shooting Daisy a look as they were leaving the train car. She stifled a laugh in response.

As they left the perimeter of the circus the people started to look almost _ordinary. _It was a huge change from living with a bunch of circus performers for so long. Luigi glanced over at Daisy to see what she was wearing. Much to his surprise she blended in well in a long sleeved turquoise turtleneck and jeans. He didn't know what he was expecting; of course she wouldn't be all dressed up if they were going into town.

Luigi was suddenly staring into a pair of brilliant blue eyes as Daisy caught him watching her. He bit back the blush he felt burning the tips of his ears and glanced away. Smiling, she looped her arm through his. "So where are we off to today?"

"You've never been to Twilight Town before, have you?" Daisy shook her head. "That's right…" He considered, "Princess Peach would never bring you to a place like this."

"What's wrong with it?" Daisy asked. Images of Rougeport flashed before her eyes, and she realized that not everything in the Mushroom Kingdom was as it seemed. Even Peach was unaware of what was _really _going on in her kingdom. Was Sarasaland the same way?

"Well… nothing's wrong with it. It's just not as fashionable as Toad Town or Glitzville, so the Princess wouldn't come here unless it was necessary." Daisy responded with a hum.

Of course she wouldn't; it wasn't like Peach to venture outside of her norms. Not that Peach wasn't a wonderful friend and almost like a sister to her, but sometimes the Mushroom Princess could be a little uptight. She needed to relax and take a few chances in her life, like Daisy was doing.

And even though things were scary, and Daisy wasn't sure what was just around the corner for her and Luigi, she was having the greatest time of her life. Peachy was really missing out; the life of a princess was nothing compared to this. She slid her arm down and laced Luigi's fingers through her own, smiling to herself as she felt him freeze up momentarily.

They continued on in silence for a few minutes, content with just the sounds of nature surrounding them. So seamlessly that Daisy hardly noticed, the sky grew darker and the beautifully chirping birds were replaced with the harsh cries of crows. A large wooden fence circled the boundary of the small town, with an unmanned gate leading into the heart of the city.

"Whoa, this place is creepy!" Daisy exclaimed as they walked through the gates. The Twilight Towners nearby glanced at her disdainfully, but continued on their way.

The interior of the town looked much like the surrounding area; overgrown and generally run-down. Though the insides of the shops were very well kept, Daisy soon discovered.

She and Luigi visited nearly all of the stores lining the main road. Everyone they passed was generally kind; smiling and greeting them as they passed. It was amazing how little Daisy knew about the world—it only served to prove how unfit she was to rule her kingdom. These people had no idea the kinds of things their Princess was doing for them, she was sure. It made her long to explore the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom and see how much more there was to learn about life.

Though the circus was fun, and she had already made friends with Elaine and Catherine, it didn't feel right being here. She needed more room to explore, and wanted fewer rules to follow. The thought only served to turn her mood sour, and she attempted to focus on Luigi as they entered a small diner to have lunch.

They found an empty booth and a waiter brought them each a menu. "Luigi, do you think we should be here?" She asked abruptly. He looked up at her from his spot across the table.

"Did you… want to go somewhere else?" Luigi asked, baffled by her question.

"I dunno, I was thinking, especially after last night—that maybe this isn't the best place for us. I'd like to go to back to your mansion. Or even someplace else—like the Beanbean Kingdom! Who'd think to look for us there?" When he didn't immediately respond, Daisy felt the need to justify herself. "Not that I don't like it here or anything! And I don't want to leave yet—not until Ellie has her baby and can take over again. And besides, don't you want it to be just us again?"

"I…would like that," Luigi responded. He was still trying to process everything that she was saying. At least she wasn't set on leaving immediately; it would be hard to find transportation in a place like this. And she was obviously fond of Elaine, so it only made sense to stick around a little longer. But by the time an opportunity for them to leave came around he was sure she would forget about the entire thing. He nodded to her. "Alright. When Elaine is fully capable of taking over her position we can take our leave. But until then, don't mention this to her, alright?"

"Yes sir!" Daisy laughed, thrilled that he had agreed with her. It wouldn't be too much longer that they were back on their own—hopping from place to place and meeting all kinds of interesting people along the way.

The waiter soon came to take their orders, and it was another fifteen minutes before their food arrived. Daisy's spicy pasta dish was amazing, though Luigi looked at her strangely when she ordered it. After enjoying their meals and paying their tab, the couple left to continue shopping.

The next shop they hit was by far Daisy's favorite. She would have never noticed the building if Luigi hadn't first pointed it out to her, insisting that they take a look. It was a thrift shop, run by three shadows—all of whom were immensely incompetent in their chosen line of work. Two of them—a hunched, stern-looking woman, and a considerably larger and plumper one were arguing behind the counter, and a third, pink-headed one was trying very hard to ignore her co-workers.

After rifling through shelf after shelf of disorganized junk, Daisy found her treasure. It was a golden ring with an emerald centered in the middle; two small diamonds bordering it on either side. She tried slipping the ring on her middle finger, but it was too small.

"What is it?" Luigi asked, looking up from a musty book when he noticed Daisy had stopped rummaging. She pulled the ring off her finger, holding it out to him.

"It won't fit," She grumbled, looking displeased at the item in her palm.

"Let me see," Luigi took the ring from her outstretched hand and took her hand in his other. Daisy watched as he fumbled a bit, then finally slipped the ring onto her ring finger. "It fits just fine," Luigi remarked, turning her hand in his so the stone caught the light. Daisy held her tongue, for once lulled into silence by the warmth of his fingers curling over hers. Luigi didn't seem fazed at all by the contact and instead looked up at her. "Did you want it?"

"Hmm?" She blinked, focusing back on his face. "Oh, right. It is nice, isn't it?" Reluctantly pulling her hand from his, she nodded. "If you think it looks okay."

"It looks beautiful. You—you're beautiful, Daisy." The sincerity in his voice made her breath hitch. Of course he would choose now of all times to get all soft on her. He was really taking this whole 'date' thing seriously, wasn't he?

Before Daisy could respond to the unexpected confession, one of the Shadow merchants appeared by their side. "Woow, that really would make a pretty engagement ring!" She exclaimed, her pink curls bobbing around her head as she bent down to examine the ring on Daisy's hand.

"Engagement?" Luigi nearly choked on the word. "You've got it all wrong—I couldn't marry her—"

"Oh? And why not?" Daisy asked, her brows raising defiantly. "There's absolutely no reason why we couldn't be married. Not anymore, at least. After all, what would Peachy say if she saw us together like this? And you certainly had no qualms about last night," She crossed her arms, waiting for Luigi to make the next move.

"Ooh, it's like a real-life drama!" The shadow exclaimed, watching the scene unfolding before her with avid interest. The two leading occupants paid no attention to her though, too caught up in each other to notice her.

"That came out wrong! Daisy—you know what I mean!" When she just stood there, her arms crossed and a sour look on her face, Luigi sighed. "Alright, fine. You want that ring?" Without waiting for her response he grabbed her hand and towed her to the counter. "How much is this?" The eldest shadow glanced up from the magazine she was skimming.

"How much you got?"

Luigi pulled his wallet from his back pocket. "Ehh… 5000 coins?"

"That'll do!" The siren grinned, holding out a gloved hand. Begrudgingly Luigi poured out his savings into her hand.

"Guh!" A larger shadow behind the counter shouted, and the elder one turned to yell at her. While the two sisters were distracted, Luigi turned to scowl at the bubbly princess beside him.

"Don't worry so much, Weegee! I know it doesn't mean anything," She assured him with a wave of her hand. The emerald in the ring glinted in the dim lighting of the thrift shop. "Shall we go home now? It must be getting late; Elaine wanted us back before six."

"Alright," Holding out his arm to Daisy, the two left the shop and headed back to the circus on the outskirts of Twilight Town.

The pink haired Shadow sighed wistfully. "Aren't they just adorable together? I would love to have a man a sweet as that toting me around all afternoon," The eldest shadow scoffed.

"Yeah, whatever. Get back to work, you slackers!" Sighing, this time in exasperation, the pink Shadow returned to her job. Someday she would get out of this stuffy shop, and away from her two obnoxious sisters. Someday.

* * *

A/N: Kind of an abrupt ending, I know. But I didn't want the chapter to be _too _long! Please don't forget to review, and remember, if you've got any ideas as to what you'd like to see happen in the story tell me and I might be able to work them in somehow!


	9. Can't Let You Go

A/N: This chapter really gave me a lot of issues... but ultimately, I'm happy with how it turned out. The T-rating really starts up with this chapter, just to let you know. xD Also, I don't own any of these characters.

Brave New World

Chapter Nine: Can't Let You Go

* * *

A pounding on her bedroom door startled Peach out of her current reverie, and she jumped up from her large plush bed to answer it. But the knocker was apparently to impatient to wait for a proper answer, for before Peach was even halfway to the door it swung open and Wendy O. Koopa let herself into the room.

"Mama Peach," The female Koopaling sighed, walking over to the bed and throwing herself down. "I don't know what to do!" Peach frowned at Wendy, returning to her former spot on the bed beside the Koopa.

"What is it?" She asked, watching as Wendy adjusted the bow on her head.

"Well… there's, like, someone who I was hoping to impress with my totally amazing ladylike skills, but… well, Mama Peach, will you teach me how to be a lady?" Wendy appeared to be having a hard time asking for help—she was toying with the golden bangles on her wrist, and refusing to look Peach in the eye. Taking pity on the stubborn Koopaling, Peach placed a hand on her shoulder. Wendy looked up at her hopefully.

"Of course," Peach responded cheerfully. "But who is this boy you're hoping to impress?"

"Oh, he's a Koopa working in the castle! One of dad's bodyguards in training. I'll show him to you if we see him, kay?" Peach nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, what do you want to know?" Peach asked. Wendy fell silent.

"…Everything?" Peach inwardly sighed. This was going to take all day; it looked like she would have to wait on that romance novel one of the maids had given her this morning.

The pair decided to move into a bigger room to commence with their lessons; somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed by any maids. Wendy took her to the ballroom that Bowser only used for hosting formal parties, and that the Koopalings used as a secret hideout during the off season.

It was much larger than her own ballroom, Peach noted as Wendy flicked on the lights, and the chandeliers above their heads flickered to life. But then again, it had to be substantially larger than her own to accommodate the Koopa King and whomever else he felt so inclined to invite. The room was mostly empty at the moment, aside from a few tables and chairs pushed to one wall, and a TV on the opposite end accompanied by a few video games that Peach was sure were brought in by the Koopalings. Wendy led her to the table and chairs, and pulled the cover off of the table so they would have somewhere to speak.

"So," Peach began when they were both seated at the table, "Where to begin… oh, alright! Dress. You already seem to have that down nicely," Peach said, gesturing to Wendy's outfit. "A lady always wants to look her best, whether she is out in public or in her own home." Wendy nodded eagerly, leaning on the table toward Peach. "Next… poise. Actions speak louder than words, and if you want that boy to notice you you've got to act the part as well."

Wendy quickly adjusted her stance, sitting up in her chair and lacing her hands on the table before her. "Very good," Peach praised. They continued on for a few more minutes before the large ballroom door creaked open and Roy sauntered in.

"Wha'cha doin' keeping Mama Peach all to yerself, Wendy?" He asked, wandering over to the table. Wendy scoffed at him, turning up her nose.

"We're doing something important here, Roy. Could you like, go away?"

"Now just a second, Wendy. That's no way to talk to your brother!" Peach scolded her.

Roy nodded, "Yeah, show some respect!" Ignoring his sister's request, Roy found a chair and joined the pair at the table. "So what's goin' on here?" He asked, crossing his arms on the table and resting his head on them.

"Here's one for both of you," Peach looked at Wendy, then Roy. "A lady, or gentlemen, should learn to always keep their cool. Don't let people have the satisfaction of getting under your skin, and if they do, try not to yell or complain about it. After all," She shrugged. "Where would it get me to be screaming and digging in my heels against your father kidnapping me? That's certainly not going to change anything."

"That's true," Roy commented. "King Dad will never let that Mario guy keep ya from us."

"Do you… like that guy, Mama Peach?" Wendy asked, her face saying that there was no way that it was possible. Peach felt her cheeks burning, and she placed her cool gloved hands over them in embarrassment. Roy scoffed at her, and Wendy gasped. "No way, he's so totally _not _cute!"

"L-let's see.. What else…" Peach franticly searched her brain for another topic. "How about dancing? Wendy, dancing is definitely something a lady needs to know how to do! And Roy, a lady would have no one to dance with if there were no gentlemen who knew the steps! Come on, lets go!"

After a bit of hassling, Peach finally managed to get the two Koopalings doing some very sloppy steps around the ballroom. But after the third time that Roy managed to 'accidentally' step on Wendy's foot, the two were nearly to blows. "Alright, alright. Maybe you need to see a demonstration first? Do you have a dance instructor in the castle?" Peach asked, thinking of the boisterous Beanbean immigrant who had taught her back in Toad Town.

"Dad knows how to dance, I think," Wendy said, stepping away from her brother.

"Yeah, let's find 'im!" With that the trio left the ballroom in search Bowser, who was supposedly the best dancer in all of the Darklands, according to Wendy. They found him in the main living room with the rest of the Koopalings, watching some sport on television that Peach had never seen before.

"Bowser?" Peach asked, stepping in front of the screen. There were shouts around the room from the Koopas.

"Hey!"

"Mama Peach, we're watching that!"

"What is it, Peachy?" Bowser asked, shutting off the TV, evoking more cries of disapproval. Quite frankly, Bowser didn't care whether or not his kids were watching the game; if Peach actually decided seek them out, they had better pay attention to _her._

Choosing to ignore the little pet name Bowser had taken to calling her, Peach continued. "Wendy, Roy and I were hoping you might be willing to dance with me—strictly for learning purposes," She added quickly, seeing the gleam in his eye. "In fact, all your children should learn to dance eventually; now seems to be a perfect time."

"What? Dance?" Bowser looked at Wendy who was behind Peach. All of his children had already had professional dancing lessons. What were they trying to pull? Then it clicked. "With you? Sure thing, Princess." He grinned and stood up. "Lets go, kids!"

They returned to the ballroom, and Larry managed to produce a small stereo system from his room. "Alright, kids. Pay attention to how Bowser is going to guide me around the room." Peach placed her dainty hand in Bowser's large scaly one. Biting back a grin, Bowser placed his other hand very properly on her waist, and she lifted hers to his shoulder; or as close as she could get to his shoulder, at least.

Larry pressed the play button on the stereo, and the sounds of one of Ludwig's award-winning symphonies filled the air. The couple twirled nearly effortlessly around the room, though in reality Bowser was taking great care not to accidentally hurt the small Princess in his arms.

"See, boys? With the gentlest amount of pressure you can guide a lady around the floor. And Wendy, try not to break synch with the gentleman's guidance. The best of dancers are so perfectly in coordination that they can move as one."

Bowser was in heaven. He could see Peach's lips moving, but he was so caught up in the moment that he didn't hear the words. She was so soft, so delicate, and for once he had her in his arms. The moment was ruined when Peach stopped abruptly, wrenching her hand from his grasp. She looked from the Koopalings back to him, an angry scowl on her face.

"They've already had lessons?" She crossed her arms, and Bowser couldn't help but adore the expression on her face.

"You couldn't keep your traps shut for ten minutes, could you?" Bowser grumbled under his breath.

"We're children of the royal family," Ludwig explained. "What makes you assume that our education would be any less adequate than your own was?"

Peach looked flustered at that. "Well, I—"

"Mama Peach, I just wanted you to see that Daddy can dance with you better than that stupid Mario ever could!" Wendy cut in. "Roy and me just wanted you to stay here, with us." She added bashfully.

Peach couldn't help the smile that came to her lips at those words. Of course she loved spending time with the Koopalings, but Bowser always seemed to have the worst timing when it came to his kidnappings. If it were any other time she might have actually enjoyed being with them all like this, but she had the relations between the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland to think about. And though Wendy's actions were due in part to the sweetest of motives, she would never feel that way about Bowser.

"I know, Wendy. But… I just can't do that."

* * *

Daisy's second performance was certainly less eventful than the last, but entirely more enthralling. This time Luigi was able to watch the whole thing; with no obnoxious Toads interrupting him partway through the act either. Daisy was amazing. How she was able to control the Ostros with a much grace as she was doing with only a few weeks training was beyond him. Her third and final performance of Twilight Town was even better, and when she returned to the back of the tent Carver was waiting to congratulate her.

"Ah, my beautiful star! You were magnificent!" Carver exclaimed, sweeping her up into an impulsive hug. She laughed, returning the embrace enthusiastically.

"You think so? I kind of messed up there at the end," She confessed embarrassedly.

"No, no! It was perfect!" The aging Magikoopa stamped his staff on the floor decisively. They moved out of the way as the next act was preparing to go on, and Luigi and Elaine wandered over to greet them. "I must go prepare the final act," Carver explained to Daisy before Luigi or Elaine had a chance to speak. With a nod, he took his leave of the group.

Choosing to ignore the strange ringmaster, Elaine smiled at Daisy. "That was lovely! The Ostros are really beginning to trust you… Oh—but that's not really what we're here for; Catherine and the girls wanted to invite you to a party later once we close down for the night. After all, tonight was our final show in Twilight Town!"

"I'll escort you if you'd like to go, Daisy," Luigi chimed in.

Elaine laughed. "You make it sound like we were invited to Princess Toadstool's castle! This is just going to be a little get-together with friends; there's no need for that kind of formality."

"Right," Daisy paused, considering her options. If Catherine was hosting the party, it certainly wouldn't be as tame as Elaine was making it out to be. Would she honestly make Luigi suffer through a party that was surely going to be filled with booze and rowdy circus performers? She doubted he would enjoy himself, but… "We'll definitely be there!" Daisy said happily, twining her arm through Luigi's.

In the time between shutting down for the night and the time it took Daisy to change and primp for the coming party, Catherine and the girls had made the big top nearly unrecognizable.

"_This is Elaine's idea of a small party? Yeah right,_"He mentally sighed. Though glancing over at Daisy, who was bright eyed as she took in the sights, he was glad that they came.

"Oh—Hey! Daisy, Luigi! Over here!" Elaine waved them over to the back of the tent, usually reserved for the animals. Instead, the area had been cleared and cleaned, tables replacing the usual stalls.

The rings where the performances actually took place were crowded with dancers; professional and otherwise. Mario had always been trying to convince him to come to parties like this. The loud, reverberating music, the inappropriate dance moves—these weren't things Luigi particularly enjoyed, but Daisy had never had the opportunity to experience things like this, so he owed it to her to at least stick around and let her get her fill of the distasteful experience.

Making their way to the relatively calmer, less packed area of the big top, Daisy grinned when she noticed the card games going on around them. Nudging Luigi in the side she said, "Hey. You think we could make some cash tonight?" She gestured to a group of burly Paratroopas playing poker.

It was something about the way she said it—or maybe her face while gesturing—that made Luigi stifle a laugh. "You sound like some kind of old Toad trying to enforce his gambling habit, Daisy."

She flushed at that, smacking his arm playfully. "Knock it off, I do not!"

"Don't what?" Elaine asked as they approached her. Daisy plopped down into the vacant seat beside her, Luigi following suit on Elaine's other side.

"Oh nothing, Luigi is just comparing me to an old, gambling Toad is all."

"That's so romantic, Luigi." He just sighed, shaking his head at the two teasing women. Catherine soon approached the small group with drinks in hand.

"So glad you could make it, honey," Catherine said with a wink to Luigi. Setting drinks in front of both Luigi and Elaine, she gestured to Daisy. "Come talk to me for a sec, Dais'?" She led the baffled princess away from the table, and into one of the back corners. "So you and your little boy toy there an item yet?" She asked eagerly.

That certainly wasn't what Daisy was expecting to come out of Catherine's mouth, and she visibly relaxed. "I… I'm not entirely sure, actually," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. Although Daisy was positive that the younger Mario brother liked her just as much as she adored him, he was so shy that it was almost impossible for her to read him at times. Such as now, for instance, when it mattered the most.

"Well," Catherine began exuberantly, "You will be by the end of the night! I've added an… extra ingredient to lover-boy's drink there, and after a few more of those, he won't be able to keep his hands off you!" Catherine grinned, obviously proud of herself for taking such an extreme step.

"You _didn't_," Daisy threw a frantic look back at the table, watching as Luigi laughed at something Elaine said and took a drink of the alcohol-laced beverage Catherine provided. The Birdo smiled widely, not understanding that she'd done something bad. Daisy found herself unable to scold Catherine, considering all that she'd done for her in the past. "How about while we're at it, you get me one too? Preferably something _strong._"

It wasn't long before Daisy was pleasantly buzzed—and Luigi right along with her. Catherine had long since abandoned them, opting to join the dance floor with a tall, dark blue Yoshi that Daisy didn't recognize. Granted, she was having a hard time focusing after that last shot, and she couldn't seem to take her eyes off Luigi long enough to really get a good look at the Yoshi.

Elaine, who had been dutifully watching over them, stood up. "Luigi, Daisy," She waited until she had their attention before continuing. "I'm going to bed now; don't want to expose the baby to too much of this, you know? Will you two be alright alone?" She asked.

"Of course! We'll be fine! Right, Luigi?" Daisy didn't wait for an answer before standing up as well. "I was actually thinking it might be fun to try dancing…" Luigi grimaced.

"Well, alright then. Don't stay out too late!" Elaine laughed, watching wistfully as Daisy dragged her reluctant partner to the main area of the big top. Sighing to herself, she turned to leave.

_It isn't fair, _Elaine thought, _Daisy is so… happy. That should be me. If only… if only he didn't have to go. _She managed to hold back the tears until she was outside, away from the prying eyes who only seemed to be focused on her anguish.

* * *

By the end of the night Luigi and Daisy had raked in quite a few coins from the ongoing Poker games. After a bit of prodding from Daisy, and a few more drinks provided by Catherine, Luigi finally agreed to play. Daisy was amazed. She'd heard that Luigi was good at card games, but she didn't realize just how good he really was. After few games she quit playing, opting instead to watch him.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but he certainly seemed more confident in this field than in any other she'd seen him. He placed bets boldly, winning the hand more often than not. And every time he would win, he would turn to Daisy, grinning broadly, and she would feel her cheeks light up and her stomach flutter. Though that could have been the alcohol, too.

And although she was definitely enjoying herself watching Luigi take everyone else's coins, it seemed that the rest of the group was getting a little annoyed at this point. Deciding that it was best if they quit while they were ahead, Daisy tugged on his arm.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Dais'?" Luigi asked, setting his cards down on the table to place his hand over hers.

"Uh…" She quickly tried to formulate a plan in her mind, but the drinks Catherine had nearly shoved down her throat slowed her down a bit. Luigi's expression went from worried to confused as Daisy leaned closer. "I was hoping… that we could go someplace a little more… private?"

"Private? Like, _alone?_"

"Yes, let's _go_," Daisy stood up and Luigi followed suit. After a flurry of farewells the pair somehow made it past the rambunctious mass of partygoers, out into the frigid nighttime air.

"Daisy… I don't think this is a good idea," Luigi told her, his voice gruff. He pulled her off the main path as a group passed them, leading her in the direction of her room. Though Daisy wasn't resisting at this point, he held her arm in a vice-like grip.

"Why not? Are you afraid something will happen?" Her eyes gleamed fiercely, even in the darkness, Luigi noted. When she stopped abruptly, he had no choice but to stop as well. "Luigi," She took his hand that was still gripping her arm, and slid it down to her waist. "Stop fighting, already."

Their lips met in a heated exchange. Daisy leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing their bodies together. Luigi knew exactly what she was trying to do, but with his mind hazy with alcohol and lust, he couldn't find the will to fight back. Instead, he ran his hands down her waist, settling them at her hips, and slanted his lips more firmly over hers.

Daisy moaned as Luigi's mouth left hers, trailing softly down her jaw line to her neck. "Daisy. We can't do this… here," When Daisy didn't immediately respond, he pulled back, looking into her half-lidded eyes.

"Hmm? Oh, right," She responded, smiling up at him cheerfully. "Should we go to your room?" It was difficult to resist such a blatant invitation, but ultimately, Luigi knew he had to.

"No," His firm tone instantly brought her back to reality. "Daisy, I can't do this to you. Not now." He carefully detached himself from her grasp, stepping back.

She frowned. "What are you talking about? It's not like I don't _want _any of this."

Luigi sighed, running a hand through his hair wearily. "I know you do—so do I. But I love you too much to consider ruining our relationship so easily. You're still a princess, whether you want to admit it or not—and what if you change your mind? Your reputation would be ruined if you were involved with someone like me," When she refused to meet his eyes, Luigi put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I wish it could be different, Daisy."

"That's why we're here, isn't it? To make things different?"

"Daisy… we can talk about this in the morning," Gripping her shoulder, Luigi steered her out of the shadows and back onto the lighted path. Daisy remained silent on the short trip back to her train car.

They stopped just before the train, and Daisy crossed her arms, glaring up at him with a look of defiance. "You can deny it all you want, Luigi, but one way or the other you'll see that I'm right," With one final, heated kiss, Daisy turned on her heels and entered her room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

The lurch of the train moving along worn tracks woke Luigi abruptly and he sat up, blinking the tiredness from his eyes. It took a second for him to register that the train was, in fact, moving, and it wasn't just his churning stomach recreating the effect. "Goomb—where are we going…?" The Ostros nearby squawked in response, watching him carefully from the other side of their cage.

"Oh. You're awake, finally. We left for Darklands this morning," Goomb glanced over at him from his spot at their small, two-person table. "Here, eat," He nodded to the plate of toast sitting across the table. Nodding gratefully, Luigi joined his Goomba roommate and accepted the now-cold toast. Goomb poured him a cup of coffee from a thermos as he ate silently.

Luigi's mind was working too quickly to even care about what he was being offered, though. They had left Twilight Town this morning, Goomb had said. Was he really asleep that long? Daisy would be furious with him! He had promised her they would talk today, but it wasn't like one day would change anything.

She was still a princess, and he was still… Luigi. That would never change. And that was the one thing that would always keep them apart, whether Daisy was happy about it or not.

After a weak attempt at conversation with his roommate, Luigi finally resigned to return to his corner of their boxcar to brood in peace. While fixing his makeshift bed as nicely as he could, his eye caught E. Gadd's forgotten letter in the corner.

With all the excitement going on he had set it aside, opting to wait until he had a spare moment to read it. Now was the perfect time, he thought, and settled in to see what the professor had to say.

Luigi had come to expect the bit of rambling from his mentor, but the contents of the letter surprised him, to say the least. Daisy and E. Gadd were exchanging letters? That explained how he found out where they were staying, Luigi mused. But the final component of Gadd's note made his stomach lurch.

Prince Peasley had learned their whereabouts.

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger? It wasn't supposed to end this way, but things work out better like this, trust me. Don't forget to drop a review and tell me how I'm doing, okay?


	10. Disruption

Brave New World

Chapter Ten: Disruption

A/N: This took way longer than necessary. I'm sorry! But, I did have a lot happening since the last update. I graduated high school! Whoo, on to college for me! And… I was diagnosed with epilepsy. Like seizures and stuff. But not what you're thinking! It's only my brain that does it, it's not my body or anything. Anyway, about this chapter. I actually split this one into two because I wanted to get it to you guys sooner, so here's the first part.

* * *

Cracking a weary eye, Peasley scanned the area for Mario. Catching sight of the red-clad plumber, he quickly snapped his eye shut and feigned sleep once again. It was crucial to his plan that he delay Mario for as long as possible; Daisy's future depended on it. A small smile ghosted over his lips at the thought of the Sarasaland Princess.

When she had come to him a little over a year ago to discuss their marital status he had been weary of her plans at first, but after spending a few weeks at the Sarasaland Castle getting to know the headstrong princess it was clear she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Prince Peasley?"

Peasley scowled; apparently he had not been doing a good job of faking sleep. With an exaggerated yawn, Peasley sat up and stretched. Mario was watching his movements carefully, waiting patiently by the foot of the bed. A quick glance around the room told Peasley that his plumber friend was already packed and ready to go. It would have to be up to him take as long to prepare for their all-important journey as possible.

* * *

Already regretting his decision to wake the Beanbean prince this morning so he would have company getting supplies, Mario trudged through the freshly laid snow in silence. Peasley, however, felt the need to make up for Mario's quiet demeanor by prattling on about whatever came to mind.

"I can't even recall the last time it snowed in the Beanbean Kingdom; though it has certainly never snowed _this much_," The prince said. "Does it snow often in the Mushroom Kingdom?" Mario shrugged. "I don't think I would enjoy the snow if it were around constantly," When his companion remained silent, Peasley sighed. This would not be an amusing expedition if Mario was intent on acting like this the entire way.

A wave of warmth assaulted the pair as they stepped into the cozy general store. As Mario made his way to the counter Peasley shook the snow off his delicate boots and frowned. This certainly would not do. All this water was sure to ruin his boots!

His mustachioed companion already seemed to be in a heated conversation with the salestoad at the moment though, so Peasley browsed the nearby shelves absentmindedly. It was amazing how inexpensive things were in the Mushroom Kingdom! If only he could tell what they were used for, that is. As he turned a bottle of strange liquid over in his hands, examining it, Mario returned to his side.

"Ah, ready to head out, then?" With a quick nod Mario was already halfway out the door, leaving the prince to follow in his wake. Peasley would never, under usual circumstances, relinquish control to a lowly peasant such as Mario—no matter how noble a duty the plumber was setting out to do. It was beaten into him since birth that royalty was born to rule, to lead; but with Peasley's unfortunate lack of geographical understanding of the Mushroom Kingdom, it was necessary for Mario to take the lead this time around.

Although, Peasley pondered, perhaps if he _did _assert his higher authority over Mario, it would give him a great excuse to lead them away from the Darklands. Not that he wasn't concerned for Princess Peach's well-being, but a delay was required in a case such as this. He was just opening his mouth—ready with a demand for Mario to relinquish control—when he was rudely interrupted.

"Since it's already late morning… I'd say we should be able to make it the outskirts of the Darklands by tonight, at least," Mario said, glancing back at the prince. Waiting until he had turned forward again, Peasley nodded to the sky, a victorious grin on his face.

As long as they only made it to the outskirts tonight, Peasley was sure they would be safe.

Daisy would be safe.

* * *

In the weeks following Carver had everyone in full swing, preparing for their opening in the Darklands. Being one of the only companies that traveled extensively in both the Mushroom Kingdom and the Darklands they always received excellent business here. Coincidentally, this resulted in a dramatic increase in the flurry of activity right before the doors were opened, and Luigi had no time to confront Daisy about E. Gadd's letter until moments before she was supposed to go on stage.

"Daisy—"

"Not now, Luigi, I have to go on soon, okay?" Daisy glanced away from the Ostro she was grooming to smile at him. "I already told you, I'm not mad at you; I just want you to see that I'm right!" Letting out an exasperated sigh, Luigi stepped out of the way as two Goombas balancing boxes of props cut between them.

"This has nothing to do with _that_—"

Daisy shook her head, placing her hands on her hips before cutting him off again, "Sure, sure. But I _do _have to go on soon—it's opening night! Watch me, okay?" Behind the curtain separating them from the show the cheerful music played by the orchestra picked up it's pace, and Carver's exuberant voice announced her entrance.

"We'll talk when I'm done, alright?" She leaned in, placing a rushed kiss on his cheek before hopping onto the lead Ostro.

Frowning slightly, Luigi watched her departing figure. She glowed under the spotlight—literally and figuratively. He watched the crowd cheer as she bowed exaggeratedly, their excitement only prompting her further.

They had arrived in the Darklands only two days ago. Since Luigi was only a lowly worker, most of his time had been spent setting up for opening night—tonight—the entire day and night. Every free second he managed to get was spent searching for Daisy, who only managed to avoid him with one excuse or another every time. He knew it wasn't on purpose; she typically had valid excuses. But he couldn't shake the feeling that she was doing it just to get him to keep coming back to her time and time again. It was probably just another one of Catherine's schemes to get them together, he reasoned.

His musings were cut abruptly short as an abrupt silence from the crowd caught his attention. A lone figure was scrambling through the stands, shoving past the orchestra in an attempt to reach the ring; to reach Daisy.

* * *

"We want to go to the CIRCUS!" Lemmy shouted. Bowser growled, placing his two clawed hands over his ears. The pile of paperwork he had been ignoring for the past two weeks had finally caught up with him, and Lemmy and Iggy's whining was making the entire process ten times worse than it already was.

"King Daaad!" Iggy whined, attaching himself to his father's huge leg. Ignoring them the best he could, Bowser continued signing the paperwork requested of him. The two Koopalings continued to harass their unrelenting father, until seconds later when little Bowser Jr. pushed the large door of the study open.

Peeking his head around the corner, Junior glanced briefly at his older brothers before addressing his father. "King Da—"

"FINE!" He roared, his fists slamming down on the large wooden desk and shaking it to the frame. "You can go, but take Ludwig with you!" The Koopalings cheered and quickly left the study, pushing past Bowser Jr. who merely looked on in confusion.

"…What?" Bowser growled at his youngest child when he noticed the Koopaling was still in the vicinity.

"Mama Peach says she's bored. Can she go to the circus too?" He asked, batting his eyes innocently. "I promise I'll protect her real good!"

Grinding his teeth, Bowser glanced to his stack of paperwork then back to his son. All he wanted to do at this point was finish signing these stupid papers, then _he_ could be the one to take Peach to the stupid circus! He would buy her some stupid cotton candy as they looked at the stupid booths and watched the stupid clowns prance around. Then when it got late he would take her to watch the main show and if he was smooth enough, she wouldn't even notice when he took her hand in his halfway through the acts.

But since he _couldn't_ go, this would have to be the next best thing. Peach would _obviously _know that he gave permission for her to leave the castle to have fun at this dumb circus with his kids and she would think he was totally awesome for it!

Letting out a throaty laugh, Bowser nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, sure! Make sure you tell her that _I _said she can buy whatever she wants there, courtesy of the Koopa King!" He let out a roar of laugher, pumping a fist into the air.

Junior wasn't entirely sure why his father was so happy all of a sudden, but he cheered anyway and left to tell Mama Peach the news.

* * *

When Iggy and Lemmy went shouting down the castle halls that they were going to the circus, it inevitably attracted the attention of the rest of the Koopalings. Morton—who was nearly as young as Junior—had never attended the circus before and was eager to see if it was really as stupid as Roy claimed it was.

Wendy wanted to go for the glitz and glamour, she declared; and also, for the boys. Larry and Roy had simply decided to tag along for lack of better things to do.

Ludwig was irritated to be taken away from his work for such a frivolous activity, especially being so close to a breakthrough with his latest theory. He was eventually forced to give in, knowing that his father would have his tail for not looking after his younger siblings and representing the royal family in a respectable light while out in public.

That was how the entire Koopa family, minus Bowser, had arrived on opening night at the circus.

Peach was surprised that Bowser would let her out of the castle for such an event at all; especially one where he would not be present. It was no surprise to her though, to spot the Koopa Troop guards following stealthily behind them. Of course he wouldn't leave her with just the Koopalings for protection—what if Mario were to show up?

The bright lights and cheerful music signified the group's arrival to their destination, and the Koopalings all cheered excitedly. Splitting into groups, they all agreed to meet back at the tents at seven for the show. Peach ended up wandering the booths with Ludwig and Bowser Jr., both refusing to leave her side for various reasons.

As they browsed the stalls, Bowser Jr.'s earlier words came back to her. So Bowser said she could have anything she wanted, did he? With a carefully concealed smile, Peach began picking out countless little trinkets to fill her captors' arms.

"Mama Peach! Mama Peach!" Larry came running toward the trio, waving his arms frantically in an attempt to get their attention. He shoved a few Darkland citizens out of the way before skidding to a stop in front of Peach. "Iggy… and Lemmy..!" He wheezed, clutching his stomach as he gasped for air.

Ludwig sighed. He knew from the start that leaving those two alone in a place like this would only spell trouble. "Where are they?" He asked. Larry pointed in the direction he had just come—the tents. Shoving his armful of trinkets into Larry's grasp, Ludwig motioned to Peach. "Princess, come with me. And Junior, _stay with Larry,_" He emphasized, noticing Junior's grasp on the edge of Peach's skirts.

Before Junior had a chance to protest Ludwig had whisked the Princess into the crowded pathways leading up to the large tents. Peach observed the eldest Koopa as he led her carefully through the throng of revelers. The grip he had on her wrist was firm, but gentle enough that she knew he would never hurt her on purpose. He would be a strong leader—one that the Mushroom Kingdom might even be able to set up peace treaties with—if only Bowser hadn't already decided Junior as the successor to the throne.

"Those idiots," Ludwig grumbled under his breath. With his luck, Iggy and Lemmy would probably be trying to land a spot in one of the acts. And that was almost _exactly _what they were doing when Peach and Ludwig walked up behind them.

"Aww, come on, Ludwig! We just wanted to see what was going on behind the scenes!" The younger Koopalings protested when Ludwig tried to lead them away.

The woman blocking their path smiled at Ludwig and Peach. "Oh, don't worry about them! They weren't any trouble at all…" She did a double take, nearly gaping at Princess Peach. "A-are you..?"

Peach put on her best smile and curtseyed to her, "Yes, good evening," The woman made a move to return the gesture, but the protuberance in her belly prevented her from doing so effectively. Ludwig turned away, grasping Peach's wrist in one hand and shoving his younger brothers away from the very pregnant woman with his other.

"Excuse us," As Ludwig led her and the rest of the Koopalings away Peach glanced back at the woman. With a hand resting on her stomach, the woman gazed up at the appearing stars with a content smile.

* * *

With only a bit of trouble involving Roy and Wendy nearly coming to blows, the evening passed smoothly, and they were soon meeting up for the big show at seven. Next to Peach, Bowser Jr. bounced excitedly as they waited in line.

"Mama Peach! Have you ever been to the circus before?" He asked, tugging on the edge of her skirts.

Peach nodded, smoothing out her skirts and grasping the young Koopalings hand. "Yes, once or twice," Wendy shoved Morton out of the way to get on Peach's other side, grasping her hand as Junior was.

"Mama Peach! Are the circuses in the Mushroom Kingdom full of totally cute boys? Cause I haven't seen very many here so far," Wendy sighed. Peach couldn't help the snort of laugher that slipped out, and she could feel her cheeks light up as Wendy watched her with a startled expression.

"I… I'd say it's about the same as here, Wendy," She coughed, grateful as she noticed they were at the front of the line. The orchestra's cheerful music filled their ears, and the spotlights roamed over the crowd, illuminating the excited expressions of the Darkland residents.

One of their guards was already inside the tent, and motioned for them to follow him. Apparently the Koopalings were used to guards following their every move, because none of them batted an eyelash at his appearance. Peach fleetingly thought that perhaps Bowser would have a harder time kidnapping her if she had some sort of guards to watch over her as well, but the thought was gone by the time they were in the tent.

She didn't know if it was because of the guards or that woman from earlier, but apparently they were expected at tonight's show. After being seated in the front row and dealing with seating arrangements for each of the Koopalings, the Magikoopa who was in the center ring teleported to their row.

"Good evening, princes, princesses," He smiled, bowing first to Ludwig, then to Peach. The gleam in his eyes instantly put Peach at discomfort. "I hope you enjoy tonight's show; our acts have been told to be on their best behavior tonight," with one last unsettling grin aimed at Peach, he stamped his staff and teleported back to the rings below.

The show began shortly thereafter, and although Peach was aware of it, she couldn't seem to focus on the performance going on around her. On either side of her the Koopalings cheered, nearly jumping out of their chairs in excitement. Her mind was stuck in an endless loop; she couldn't stop thinking about that poor woman stuck here with that terrible Magikoopa… was she okay here? When she got back to her own castle, Peach would have to track down this carnival and take the girl into the Toadstool's care.

It was only after the clapping and cheering stopped and the orchestra slowed down the music that Peach's attention was caught. In the center ring stood the same Magikoopa as before, with his arms raised. Just as suddenly as it slowed, the orchestra erupted into a fast paced beat as the ringmaster announced the next act. She couldn't catch the name through all of the cheers, but she instantly recognized the figure perched on a brightly dressed Ostro.

Before her, Daisy bowed exaggeratedly to the crowd and ate up their cheers.

The smile on Daisy's face did not deter Peach from shooting up from her chair and shoving through whoever was blocking her way to her best friend. The Koopalings were unprepared for this sudden rebellion, and were momentarily frozen, watching her stumble into the ring while stepping on the hem of her dress.

Letting out a battle-cry Peach made her way to Carver who was on the edge of the ring. He was unprepared for the attack as well, for when she grabbed him by the collar and shoved him to the ground he did nothing to stop the fall.

At this point the crowd had fallen silent, and the Koopalings were making their way down to the ring once they realized she wasn't about to run. Turning to Daisy, she put her hands on her hips and huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes in the process.

Daisy took one look at the princess before her and burst into laughter.

* * *

A/N: Was it worth the wait? I hope so! I got so many lovely reviews from you guys, I just felt terrible about not posting anything for so long! This part was mostly about Peach/the Koopalings but the next chapter will have an intense battle scene and lots of Daisy/Luigi fluff! Don't forget to review, guys! It's those reviews that inspired me to get this written in three days for you!


	11. Everything Changes

A/N: Here it is! The big battle scene I promised you! I've never written one before, so let me know if it sounds alright, okay? When I started writing this story, I had originally envisioned it to be ten chapters max. But now I have no idea when it's going to end. I have the next chapter planned pretty well, but after that I've only got a vague plot to go off of... We'll see what happens, right?

Brave New World

Chapter Eleven: Everything Changes

* * *

From behind the curtain Luigi watched as Princess Peach let out an angry screech and shoved Carver to the ground. She turned to Daisy, hands on her hips, and stomped to her side as Daisy continued to laugh. He was too far away to hear Peach's heated whispers, but he knew that she wouldn't keep this a secret. They were caught.

It wasn't until the Koopalings made their way into the ring that he remembered that they were in the Darklands, and in turn that Peach must have been captured by Bowser. He prayed that Mario was not too close on the Princess' trail as he stepped out from behind the curtain.

Shouts from the audience erupted. "Mario Brother!" Someone shrieked, and the Ostro pack surrounding Daisy went into a frenzy, scattering in all directions. The Koopalings instantly moved into position, eager to take down the lone Mario brother. Grinding his teeth, Luigi tried to formulate a plan to take on all eight Koopalings by himself. Of course someone would recognize him in the _Darklands_ of all places.

"Daisy! Peach!" He called, waving them to the back of the tent. Pivoting around on her Ostro perch, Daisy gasped at the sight of the Koopalings and the rest of the Koopa Troop quickly moving in behind them. Hauling Peach onto the Ostro behind her, Daisy quickly set the bird into a run, pulling up behind Luigi.

"Luigi?" Peach exclaimed.

Daisy jumped off the Ostro leaving Peach to cling to the creature's neck. "It's a long story, Peachy. Maybe if we get outta here alive I'll explain it to you sometime!"

"Give back my Mama Peach!" Bowser Jr. shouted, advancing on the trio.

Taking a step forward, Daisy scoffed. "Yeah right, twerp! She's staying with us!" Luigi grabbed her arm, pulling her back beside him with a stern look.

"Daisy, take the Princess into the back and find Catherine. She'll know a safe place to hide." He frowned when she shook out of his grasp.

"No way! We're staying here and fighting! Right, Pea—" She was shoved away as a fireball courtesy of Ludwig came flying their way.

"No more talking," He said, charging forward and spitting out two more fireballs at Luigi. Dodging quickly, Luigi turned to throw a displeased look at Daisy. She just smiled and shrugged.

"Oh, oh! Ludwig, look what I've been practicing!" Iggy exclaimed. Choosing Daisy as his target, Iggy shot out one green fireball at her. She was unprepared for the attack and nearly managed to avoid it. With a shriek of pain Daisy fell to the ground, grasping her singed ankle. Ludwig nodded his approval at his younger sibling.

"Morton, now!" Junior shouted, smirking as Luigi charged at them. The Darkland citizens in the stands fell quiet, anticipating the Prince's next move. Stepping forward, Morton cracked his knuckles before jumping high into the air. Skidding to a stop, Luigi stood paralyzed as he gaped at the Koopaling above him. He wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the Koopalings; it had been a long time since he had faced off against any of them—with or without Mario. When Morton came speeding back towards the ground Luigi finally came to his senses and dashed out of the way in time for Morton to collide with the ground.

This was apparently the desired effect, and the citizens in the stands cheered. After a moment of delay Luigi and the Princesses fell to the ground, the tremors resulting from Morton's crash-landing too powerful to stand through.

Taking advantage of this, Junior ordered Roy out into the ring next. With a wicked grin the large pink Koopaling approached the fallen trio.

"Morton Koopa Junior! You listen to me right now!" Peach shouted, "If you don't stop this right now I will be sure to tell your father what terrible children you've been tonight!" While Daisy couldn't help the snort of laughter that slipped through at that, Morton was apparently mortified at the thought of Mama Peach telling on them. He stopped in his tracks just long enough for a large wave of magic to blow him backwards into his siblings.

Shouts and boos were heard all around them, and the trio looked around, curious know who would help them in a place like this. Carver stood just outside the ring, adjusting his brightly colored vest. Waving his staff, he teleported to Peach and Daisy's side.

"I will forgive you for earlier, Princess Toadstool," He nodded in her direction. "And even though these Koopas happen to be Darkland royalty, anyone who picks a fight in my home will be appropriately punished!" Waving his staff at the now-destroyed curtain behind them, he threw the charred fabric over the Koopalings, effectively tangling them into one large mess.

With the Koopalings occupied for the moment, Luigi turned to check Daisy's leg. "Does it hurt? Maybe you should have Peach take you to the train," Luigi suggested. Daisy felt the heat rise to her face at the brush of his fingertips along her ankle.

"It's… It's fine. I'm fine, Luigi," She reassured him. "Really, you worry too much." He looked as if he didn't believe her, but an order barked by Junior caught his attention and he dropped the conversation.

Only a second later did one of Wendy's large golden rings come flying through the fabric, not only slicing it in half, but also ripping a large hole in the big top. Several more followed the first, this time aimed at Carver.

"No FAIR!" Wendy bellowed, causing her brothers to cover their ears, "You're a KOOPA! You shouldn't be helping THEM!"

"Wendy," Ludwig growled, slapping a hand over his sister's mouth, "Whining is going to get us nowhere."

"Yeah! It's time to go all out!" Junior shouted, raising a hand. Both the Koopalings and the Koopa Troop lined up behind them moved forward, encircling the distraught foursome. "We'll give you one last chance to surrender before we take Mama Peach back with force!"

"Surrender? Ha!" Everyone turned at the sound of the over-dramatic voice. In the entrance to the big top stood Peasley, ready for battle atop his winged bean. Mario trudged up behind him, panting for breath. "I'm afraid the fight is just beginning!"

"WHAT?" Junior cried. "Koopa Troop, get'em! That stinky Mario can't have Mama Peach!" The guards rushed the pair, though Mario made quick work of them once he pulled out a fire flower from his supplies.

Soon it was just the Koopalings remaining. Junior scoffed, crossing his arms as Mario approached. "So what? You think just because both of the stupid Mario brothers are here you can beat us? Yeah right!" Mario blinked. He hadn't been expecting Luigi to be here already; although now that he thought about it, who else would the Koopalings be fighting?

"Oh, Mario!" Peach waved a gloved hand, drawing his attention to the group still surrounded by the Koopalings. "Daisy's hurt! You have to get her out of here!" Peasley was already flying over the crowd of Koopalings and landing in front of the Princesses before Mario could even register the fact that Daisy was here as well.

Daisy smiled up at him. "Peasley," She said favorably, reaching up to meet his outstretched hand. "It's been a while." Luigi frowned, watching the pair out of the corner of his eye.

He nodded amicably, "Yes, but we can discuss that later." Pulling her onto his flying bean, the pair shot into the air, leaving from the exit Mario and Peasley had just entered through.

"Finally," Junior moaned. "I thought they'd never leave!" The Koopalings jumped back into action, moving in on Mario and completely ignoring Luigi and Carver.

"C'mon, bro!" Mario shouted, tossing a fire flower over the crowd of Koopas. With a smile and a newfound respect for Mario, Luigi grasped the flower. It had been a while since Mario had acknowledged his worth in anything; the feeling was liberating.

"You think your silly fire flowers can stand up to our real fire power? Ha," Ludwig sneered, sending a large fireball towards the elder Mario brother. Iggy followed suit, spitting multiple smaller fireballs at the brothers. Carver shot a large surge of magic aimed at Ludwig and Iggy's back, taking out both brothers unexpectedly.

"How DARE you!" Wendy screeched. She hurled more golden rings at Carver as the rest of the Koopalings rushed to help their fallen brothers.

"Bro, who is that guy?" Mario asked as Luigi made it to his side. "And what are you wearing?" Luigi blinked, looking down at his faded brown jacket. It had been so long since he and Daisy left, he had nearly forgotten that he wasn't wearing his traditional Mario Brother outfit. Running a hand through his hair subconsciously he shrugged.

"Carver's the ringmaster here, and… well, I'm sure Daisy'll tell you the whole story later."

Mario sighed, dropping the subject as Larry and Lemmy came hurtling towards them. Unfortunately for them, their plan backfired—Larry's sky blue shell bumped against Lemmy's large rubber ball, popping it before they could reach the Mario brothers.

"Hey!" Lemmy shouted, rubbing his backside where he hit the ground. Larry skidded to a stop, turning back at the sound of his brother's voice. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"What? It was an accident, stupid!" Larry shouted back. He faced his brother with a glare and was met with one in return.

While Larry and Lemmy proceeded to fight with one another, Morton and Roy went after the Mario brothers the old-fashioned way. Luigi barely avoided a fiercely thrown punch from Roy, while Mario already had Morton in a headlock. It was easy enough taking out the third-youngest Koopaling—even though Peach was shouting at Mario not to hurt him too badly the entire time. Once Morton was taken care of Mario turned to Roy, who was chasing Luigi around the ring. Carver was attempting to hit the Koopaling with magic blasts, but he was moving surprisingly quickly for his large size.

Luigi tripped over one of Wendy's rings—and the Koopalings and crowd cheered in victory.

"Get him now, now, NOW!" Bowser Jr. shouted. Roy turned back, giving his youngest brother a thumbs up—just the amount of time both Mario and Carver needed to lock onto their target. Roy let out a roar as both a powerful magic blast and a scalding hot fireball made contact with his backside. "W-Well…" Junior frowned. He glanced at his sister, the only Koopaling left on the battlefield.

"Yeah right, Junior. As if I would actually take on the Mario brothers all alone! What if I were to ruin my beautiful complexion? No way I'm letting that Magikoopa turn me into some kind of hideous monster with his magic! Let's just get out of here, okay? Daddy will bring Mama Peach home on his own," She turned on her heel, leaving everyone in the big top perplexed.

"Wait! Wendy!" Junior shouted, chasing after his sister. The rest of the Koopalings quickly followed suit once they realized they were no match for both the Mario brothers and Carver combined. It was not too long after the Koopalings left that the Darkland citizens rushed out of the carnival, astonished that anyone could treat their royalty so cruelly in their own Kingdom.

"I never knew you could actually use magic, Carver," Luigi laughed, holding out a hand to the Magikoopa. "Thank you for helping me and my brother save the Princess."

With a firm look, Carver accepted the handshake. "Of course! I should be insulted, but at the moment I'm more upset by the fact that you would lie to me about your identity! This entire time, I've had a Mario following my every command! Think of the amazing shows we could put on with that kind of power!"

Luigi looked over at his brother, embarrassed that he had to hear all this—though at the moment he was preoccupied with Princess Peach and the kiss she was currently bestowing him with. The sight only made him remember _his_ Princess, who had been taken by the bean who wanted to steal her away. He finally understood why Mario was so intent on destroying Bowser's existence as Peasley's annoying laugh flashed through his brain.

"I'll make it up to you, Carver! Don't worry about that—or the tent—I'll pay for a new one," Luigi reassured. With that, he rushed out of the room leaving Carver to gape at the ruins of his once-perfect home.

* * *

The train came into view as Luigi rounded a corner. Peasley was there, scanning the cars for something. Daisy was nowhere in sight.

"Ah, Luigi!" Peasley's tense expression instantly transformed into a sparkling smile. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could locate Daisy's train car, would you? She requested her things be brought to your…room," He trailed off. Luigi frowned. What happened to the boisterous Prince who greeted them earlier that evening? Something was obviously bothering him. Luigi would bet it had something to do with the fact that he had just found his betrothed trying to escape with a lowly working-class man to escape his presence.

"It's up toward the front of the train," He pointed to the nicer looking cars at the head of the locomotive. "It'll be the one surrounded by Birdos." With a grateful smile and a parting nod, Peasley hopped back onto his flying bean and took off in that direction.

Luigi sighed, feeling the tension in his shoulders drop. At least he would finally get a few minutes alone with Daisy after everything was said and done. Although it was a little too late to warn her about E. Gadd's letter now. As he approached his and Goomb's shared train car Daisy's jovial laughter floated through the air toward him.

"Daisy," At the sound of her name Daisy looked over her shoulder at him.

"Oh, Luigi." She smiled, blue eyes lighting up at the sight of him. Patting the spot on the blanket beside her, Daisy called him over. "Is everything okay? You aren't hurt, are you?" Luigi smiled, shaking his head as he sat down beside her. As she reached for him their eyes met, and a sort of understanding passed between them. Daisy glanced away, cheeks tinged pink, and returned her hand to her lap. "I was just telling Goomb what happened with Peach and Mario—and us, of course."

Goomb nodded solemnly. "I knew the whole time. Luigi is Luigi." Luigi blinked, looking at the strange Goomba seated at the table nearby. How could Goomb have known this entire time and not had the urge to bring it into conversation? Not that he was a particularly _important_ Mario brother, but Luigi still thought he warranted some kind of reaction.

A second later Peasley returned, followed by Peach and Mario. Setting Daisy's things in the corner of the small room, Peasley turned around to meet Luigi's unwavering gaze. It was obvious to Peasley now that Daisy's mission was a failure—everything that they had worked so hard to perfect, it was all over. But still, as he returned Luigi's steady stare he saw something in those dark blue eyes that gave him a glimmer of hope.

Snapping his gaze back to Daisy, Luigi focused back in on the conversation going on around him. As much as the Beanbean Prince's presence unnerved him, there was really nothing he could do about it. Brooding was not going to solve anything; ignoring him was obviously the next best thing.

Peach had rushed to Daisy's other side, her skirts taking up nearly half the small train car on their own. Clasping her friend's hands in her own, a small frown settled on Peach's lips. "Daisy, you have to tell me everything! What in the world are you doing here? We were worried sick! Isn't that right, Mario?" She glanced back at Mario, who was still standing awkwardly in front of the door along with Prince Peasley.

"Right." He chimed at the Princess' urging.

Daisy sighed, looking at the crumpled blanket beneath them. Anywhere but Peach's worried stare. "It's really a long story. Maybe we should wait until morning? It's been a long day, Peachy." Huffing, Peach pulled her hands back to her chest. Though it was true; Peach was certainly ready for a good night's sleep after being freed from Bowser's grasp at last.

"First thing in the morning, okay?" Daisy nodded vigorously. "I'm serious, Daisy!"

"I know, I know! First thing!" She stood up, holding a hand out to Peach. "C'mon, I'm sure Elaine won't mind if you stay in my bunk tonight."

"Oh!" Peasley exclaimed. He coughed into his fist, biting back embarrassment as everyone in the cramped vicinity turned to look at him. "Princess Daisy, please allow me to escort Princess Peach for you. Your ankle is in no condition for you to be up and moving," Peach voiced her agreement, moving to Peasley and placing her hand on his arm. Shrugging, Daisy returned to her seat. After saying their goodbyes the royal couple left, leaving Mario to frown down at his brother.

"So what's going on, little bro?" When Luigi remained silent, Mario continued. "We really were worried. You disappeared, just like that!"

"I know, Mario." Luigi responded.

"Well? Why?"

"Why not? You've proven once again that you don't need me to protect the Mushroom Kingdom. The only one there who did need me—who I needed—was Daisy. How long did it take for you to notice I was missing?" Mario flinched. "I'm sorry bro, but you and Peach don't need a third wheel following you around anymore." Daisy gripped Luigi's hand with nervous excitement as she forced herself to remain silent. This was Luigi's big moment—she shouldn't interfere.

Mario was unsure how to react, his mouth hanging open slightly. Like a fish out of water, he opened and closed it a few times, before settling with a nod. "I… understand. But were the dramatics really necessary? I mean, couldn't you have just said something?"

It was Daisy's turn to chime in. "That would be me!" She grinned, raising a hand. "I wanted a little breathing room—you know, get outta that castle for a little while? So I brought Luigi along for protection! You mean—you guys didn't get my note?" She pretended to be surprised at the fact that they had no idea where she was. Of course she wouldn't have really leave a note! She would have been brought back immediately if that were the case.

"King Toadstool never mentioned a note—but that reminds me, your dad's waiting back in Toad Town for you." Mario explained. Her face draining of color, Daisy shook her head.

"You know… my ankle does kind of hurt. Let's call it a night?" Yawning for show, she pulled one of her bags closer to find some comfortable clothes. "I'm assuming you and Peasley have sleeping arrangements?" She saw Mario nod out of the corner of her eye.

"We were already checked in at a nearby hotel when the flashing lights and fire caught our attention."

"Good. We'll see you tomorrow, then?" She asked. Once she found what she was looking for, Daisy tossed the bag back in the corner of the train and stood up.

"…Okay. G'night, then." Mario directed the statement to everyone, including Goomb who was seated on his side of the train car. He had given up on the group around him and had instead settled on reading a book.

"You can't—Daisy, why'd you move your things here? Carver will throw a fit!" Luigi frowned up at her.

"You worry too much, sweetie! I'm sure he won't mind after everything that's happened tonight. Besides, I'm injured! I need someone to take care of me." She lifted her ankle, feigning pain as Luigi shook his head.

"Alright, alright. But only this once." He told her sternly. With a happy cheer Daisy hopped out of the car.

"Be right back!" She yelled to the open door as she merrily made her way into the darkness.

* * *

It didn't take long for Peasley to guide Peach back to Daisy's train car. After all, it was only moments earlier he was there himself. But with the tightening in his chest getting worse with every step it seemed to take hours. When they finally made it to the front steps, he let Peach take the lead.

"I wonder who Elaine is… do you know, Prince Peasley?" Peach asked, glancing around at the remaining workers milling about.

"Not a clue, Princess." He sighed, and the thudding in his chest slowed down a bit.

"Princess Peach?" A voice behind the duo exclaimed. "How can I help you? Is something the matter?"

"Oh! You're the woman from earlier!" Peach said, clasping her hands together. "Daisy told us to talk to Elaine? I am in need of a place to stay, and Daisy has kindly offered me her room."

"I see; well, I happen to be Elaine," She said, smiling warmly at the Princess. "Shall we get you all settled in, then?" It wasn't until she stepped around Peach that Peasley came into view. He was doing his best to ignore her, but was failing terribly. "This way, Princess Peach." Choosing to ignore him in return, Elaine carefully made her way up the steps and opened the door to the train car, leading the Princess inside.

It wasn't until the door was shut that Peasley let out a long, shaky breath. He knew it was highly improbable—and yet, his eyes couldn't have been mistaken. When he had met her long ago she had never mentioned the circus, but here she was. And still just as beautiful as ever.

* * *

A/N: Were you expecting that? I bet you weren't! Go ahead and leave a little review to let me know what you thought, okay? Whether you have something to say about the writing or the plot, I'd like to improve on both, so give me some constructive critisism here! ;)


	12. Family

A/N: Oh man, I feel so bad for not having this done sooner. But I never did manage to get the files off of my computer (including the outline for this story! ;o;) So I had to rewrite everything I had for this chapter. I wanted to get this done soon, because last friday was the two-year anniversary for this story! ...It really shouldn't take two years to do twelve chapters, but I only write for fun, soo... I'm sorry about that. This chapter is very Peasley-centric, not quite as much as it could have been, since I pushed an entire scene to the next chapter, but enough that it was kind of strange to write. I also never thought I would be writing an OC paired with a cannon character. It's generally something I don't do, buuut...

You guys will let me know how it goes, right? I always get such kind reviews, and they really help to modivate me when I'm feeling like I can't continue. So thanks, everyone~!

Brave New World

Chapter Twelve: Family

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Elaine hissed. She stepped down from the train car carefully, and crossed her arms when he offered his hand to her. Even as she frowned at him, Peasley's lips upturned in a tentative smile.

She was as lovely as she had been all those months ago. Perhaps even more so, he contemplated. Her long, rich brown hair was pulled haphazardly into a bun; it was more attractive than any intricately knotted style he had seen on the women of his court. Her dark eyes were narrowed, piercing his heart in that way that only she could manage to do.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Elaine's harsh tone drew him back to her. What was he supposed to tell her? Considering he had lied to her in the first place, anything he chose to tell her now would simply upset her more than she already was.

"Elaine. You're beautiful." The rosy tinge to her cheeks was visible even in the surrounding darkness.

"That... wasn't exactly what I had in mind." She turned her head, gazing out into the night, looking anywhere but Peasley's eyes. It was in that moment, as he let his eyes roam her body, that he finally noticed.

She was pregnant.

He dreaded the answer to the question he knew he had to ask next. "Ellie," Peasley began, pausing to swallow the lump in his throat. "You're pregnant." She tilted her head in agreement, refusing to speak. "Who is the father?"

"You know very well who the father is. Don't play dumb." Her eyes met his furiously, and Peasley's breath caught in his throat. "You just... disappeared. What happened?"

He wanted to tell her everything, to explain why he hadn't been able to stay with her at the time. That he was only in the Mushroom Kingdom at the time on business, that even now, he was only here because his pseudo-fiancee had gone missing. He had a feeling that if he told her about Daisy now, it wouldn't go over well. She was already infuriated with him, and in her current state he was risking losing their future together with the smallest of mistakes.

"It was... complicated. Elaine, please come back to the Beanbean Kingdom with me. I will explain everything. I promise." The corners of her lips upturned in a humorless smile.

"You always did have a way with words." The sarcasm in her words stung. He knew he would have no choice but to make the situation clear to her now. Even if it meant losing her.

Losing their child.

"I left that morning," He took a step closer, "Because I had to return to my Kingdom. I suppose... it is still under my mother's rule, but I shall be in charge soon enough." He watched the confusion flash through her eyes. She didn't speak, but waited for him to continue. He took it as a good sign that she hadn't turned and walked away yet. "I would like for you to return with me, to rule with me, Elaine."

Peasley remembered the night they met with perfect clarity.

After a long afternoon of negotiation with the rulers of the Mushroom and Sarasaland Kingdoms, Peasley was looking forward to an evening of solitude before setting off on the long journey home the following morning. The People of the Mushroom Kingdom had always fascinated him, and if given the opportunity he liked to wander the streets, simply observing the differences of his own Kingdom.

It had been on one of these trips that he had met Elaine. She was leaving one of the little shops lining the road, her arms full of supplies. His attention had been drawn to her by the adamant and very loud protesting she was doing as one of the shop keepers tried to help her out the door.

"It really isn't very far. Please, I can handle it myself." She was saying to the Toad as she stepped away. The Toad sighed, obviously defeated.

"Have a good day, then, miss." She smiled amicably at him as he closed the door, then turned around, taking a step.

And was promptly bumped into by two young Shy Guys, sending her armful of supplies flying into the street. Peasley had been watching the scene unfold from the opposite side and rushed quickly to her aid.

It was one of those things he often did subconsciously at first, flirting with her. After helping her gather her things before they were trampled by oncoming traffic, he had flashed her one of his winning smiles. She was instantly weary of his intentions, and tried to shake him the same way she had done the salestoad. But after watching her try to snatch the supplies he was holding back while her arms were still full and nearly drop everything once again, he had already found himself genuinely smitten.

Who was this woman, who was absolutely determined to do everything on her own? She had given him such a look of incredulity when he had offered to walk her to wherever she was going that he had to stop himself from laughing aloud. It was a pleasant surprise to meet a woman who wasn't instantly taken with his looks or his title. Against all her protesting and snippy comments, Peasley managed to convince her to allow him the pleasure of walking her home that evening.

But now she was here, standing before him with all of the consequences of that one evening spent together for the world to see. He had honestly come to terms with the fact that he would never find her again, and definitely not in her current state.

"Are you telling me that you're a _prince_?" Elaine asked skeptically, making the same face she'd made at him when they had first met. "That... is impossible. No. I will not go with you. I have a life here." She said decisively.

"Elaine, please. I love you. Marry me, Ellie, and come back and rule the Beanbean Kingdom by my side."

"No, no, no," She said, shaking her head. But her voice was frantic, and as Peasley took a step closer, he noticed she was clutching at her stomach. "No, not now." She turned her gaze up to his, her eyes wide and scared.

The baby was coming.

* * *

"You have to let me see her." Peasley snarled at Catherine.

"Sorry, no can do, hun. She specifically says she doesn't want to see you." The pitying expression on Catherine's face only served to irritate him even more. Granted, Peasley was fairly certain that Elaine hadn't told anyone here that he was the father of her child. Yet. They would know soon enough, though.

Catherine was only one of the girls making an effort to keep him away from Elaine. It was as if they had some sort of pact to stick together or something. If one of them wanted something, the full force of a dozen other females was sure to be behind it, as well. Peasley would have admired their will if it were any other situation, but this was his_ child_ they were preventing him from seeing.

Peasley's hope was raised as Daisy, looking bright-eyed and excited, if a little disheveled, walked briskly to the train car. Luigi trailed behind her, half asleep and probably only there because Daisy had forced him along.

She nearly barreled right past him, so focused on Catherine standing in the way of the door that she probably wouldn't have even noticed Peasley if it hadn't been for Luigi grabbing her shoulder and pointing out the fact that he was there.

"Oh, Peasley! What are you still doing here?" She stopped so suddenly that Luigi nearly ran into her back. Peasley had forgotten that he never told Daisy Elaine's name in all of the planning and plotting they had done.

He took her hand, "It's her, Daisy. Elaine." Behind them, Luigi was looking baffled, but Daisy immediately understood what he meant, her mood instantly sobering.

"Is the baby—"

"Yes."

She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Leave it to Daisy to be thrilled at this turn of events. Peasley could sense how uncomfortable Luigi was, being left in the dark and having to witness the scene in front of him. Peasley was fairly certain that Daisy hadn't yet told him about she and Peasley.

"I'll go see how she's doing for you." Daisy told him, pulling out of the embrace, but not before placing a quick peck on his cheek. With that, she hurried away, Catherine letting her into the room without a fuss. A flurry of voices were heard as the door was open and shut, then silence.

Peasley glanced at Luigi, who was standing to his side, hands shoved into his pockets and eyed Peasley back wearily. Peasley wasn't sure if it was the nerves he was experiencing due to finding Elaine once again, or if it was just long overdue that he speak with Luigi, but something made him speak up in the next moment.

"For your sake, I hope you intend to take care of her." The statement caught Luigi off guard. "My Daisy deserves the best. And if you cannot give that to her, you can be sure I will come after you." They stared each other down, trying to gauge the others' thoughts.

Peasley knew full well that Luigi didn't know what he was talking about. As far as he knew, Peasley and Daisy were engaged to be married. And that might have been the case, once upon a time. But the pair of them were good friends, and their engagement had simply been arranged by their parents. Marrying Daisy would be like marrying his sister. If he had one. It was just impossible.

"You aren't...going to marry her?" Luigi asked hesitantly.

"I will not marry Daisy. I love her, but certainly not in that manner. She is a wonderful woman, but I can assure you that our relationship is strictly platonic." Peasley paused, a small smile gracing his lips. "Even before she and you took off on this journey, I can still recall how she never seemed to stop talking about you." Luigi looked to the ground bashfully. "We never intended to get married, regardless of what our parents want."

"Then why go through all the trouble of running away? Why didn't you tell your parents no?" Luigi recalled the first night Daisy had come to him, the tears in her eyes and her frantic behavior. There was no way she could have faked her actions that night. If he was to believe what Peasley was telling him right now, then that night something had obviously spooked Daisy into thinking that she would have no choice but to marry Peasley.

Peasley sighed, crossing his arms and averting his gaze to the train car, the bright lights inside illuminating his face in the pitch-black darkness. "I suppose it is not my right to tell you this story. You should speak with Daisy about it."

"But—"

The door to the car slid open and Daisy stood in the doorway, looking at both Luigi and Peasley before stepping down. In the short amount of time that she had been in the train, it looked as if all of her energy had been drained; she had lost that subconscious bounce in her step, and her eyelids drooped sleepily, as if the last few days were finally beginning to catch up to her.

"She will see you now," Daisy said to Peasley. At first he was sure he had misheard her—after all, how could a few minutes with Daisy convince Elaine to allow him permission to see her and their child? But she waved a hand toward the sliding door which was still open behind her, and he was instantly in motion.

When the door slid into place behind Peasley, Daisy turned back toward Luigi as he was stifling a yawn. It was already close to four am; Luigi would be sure to ask her about the things Peasley had mentioned in the morning—but for now, his main concern was getting Daisy and himself back to bed.

"...Luigi?" Daisy asked, her voice sounding small in the crisp night air around them. She advanced slowly, the worried look in her eyes becoming more apparent the closer she drew. It was an odd look on her, and it filled Luigi with an unwarranted sense of foreboding. The feeling was strong enough that when she drew close enough for him to reach, he pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her shoulder. Daisy didn't respond to this, other than simply reaching out to run her fingers through his hair. Maybe she had the same feeling, Luigi considered. "I don't want to stay here anymore." She said in barely a whisper.

Luigi looked up, into her eyes. "I want to leave. Elaine has had her baby. We should go. I don't want any more drama, I only want you." She continued, looping her arms around his neck and drawing him closer.

He could understand where she was coming from, but now that Mario knew where they were, he feared that escape wouldn't be as easy as she assumed. Even if they did manage to leave tonight, they wouldn't get far before Mario or Prince Peasley caught up to them. It would be best to wait until tomorrow at least, when they were rested and thinking logically...

Not that the look in her eyes now was assuring him that he would get any rest tonight, let alone be able to think about anything logically if she were within a twenty-foot radius.

She had to have known the effect that those half-lidded eyes had on men, he thought, before his mind stopped functioning, and he pressed his lips to hers. She responded immediately, pressing herself closer, so that her body was flush against his. Luigi's hands slid down to her waist, and Daisy sucked in a breath at the sensation.

Using her gasp to his advantage, Luigi took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, coaxing her lips apart with a new found sense of boldness. In that moment, Daisy came alive. She opened up to him, pouring her entire heart and soul into one kiss.

She knew they were teetering on the edge of—something. Something she fully intended to discover, once and for all.

She gasped as his mouth left hers, burning a trail of hot kisses down her neck. Her hands twined in his hair, pulling a low growl from Luigi's throat. It was something she had never heard from him before, and it set her insides on fire. How she could have never met this Luigi, this bold, demanding Luigi was beyond her.

When he pulled back she panicked, until he brought his eyes up to meet hers, resting his forehead against hers. The dark, husky look in his eyes went straight to her stomach, settling with an odd weight and twisting her insides. She was grateful for his support, because at the moment she wasn't sure she would be able to stand if she weren't leaning so far into him.

"Daisy." His voice was lower than usual, and he swallowed thickly before continuing. "Daisy, you were right." He looked so happy, but her mind was still hazy from that toe-curling kiss. What was she right about? He cupped her cheeks, kissing her chastely. "It shouldn't matter what Mario, or Peach, or your father thinks. As long as _you _are happy with it, I'll always be by your side."

Oh, _that_. Of course she was right about that; it took him long enough to work out his issues revolving around the whole subject. She fleetingly wondered if Peasley was responsible for squashing some of his worries—before Luigi's mouth met hers once again, that is.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: ALRIGHT EVERYONE. I know I have not been quite as diligent as usual when it comes to updating this fanfic, but after going back and reading my writing from like three years ago I've realized that WOW THOSE OF YOU WHO STUCK THROUGH ALL THAT TERRIBLE WRITING, you're all awesome. And I need to rewrite this, so badly. Because I do still absolutely adore this story, and the pairings in general, but I can't continue this fanfiction knowing how bad my writing was.

That being said, I've been working on a rewrite for a while now, and I figured before I post it up anywhere else I'd share a bit of Chapter One with you all here so you know what's going down. Lots of changes in the works! So here's your preview of the rewritten Chapter One!

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Our story begins with a letter from The Princess to a Mario Brother. But much to the astonishment of the older brother, this particular letter wasn't addressed to him, nor was it from his particular princess.

The letter was addressed to one Luigi Mario, 123 Rainbow Road, Mushroom Kingdom, and was delivered on a bright and sunshiny day that blanketed the entire kingdom with unseasonable warmth that kept most of its residents inside that day. Except for Toads who were hand picked to deliver letters to plumbers, of course.

It was Mario who was out doing yard work when the Toad picked for the job came racing up the drive; already thinking about the air conditioned quarters he would soon be returning to once his job was complete. "Master Mario!" The Toad called out, waving the letter above his head to catch Mario's attention.

He had little luck at first; Mario was clearly enthralled with weeding the garden in expectation of a visit from the lovely Princess Peach later that week. What sort of host would he be if he let the Princess of their fine kingdom catch his small-but-homely estate covered with weeds?

"Master Mario," The Toad tried again once he'd reached Mario's side, tapping the man on one exposed bicep. Mario started, whipping his gaze to the now-flustered Toad clenching the letter in one hand. His reflexes were lacking; it had been a good couple of months without an attack on the Mushroom Kingdom—from Bowser or anybody else, for that matter. "Please excuse me, but this letter just came for your brother from The Princess," Mario's eyebrows rose incredulously. "From Princess Daisy," The Toad corrected, all but shoving the letter into Mario's hand. "And Princess Peach wanted me to tell you that she's looking forward to your engagement later in the week. She says... uh... that she's had a new dress made up just for the occasion."

"Thank you," Mario responded with a nod. "Let her know I'm looking forward to it as well."

The two exchanged their goodbyes, and then they both left the small square patch of grass that the Mario Brothers called their front yard, the Toad leaving for his quarters residing in the castle walls, and Mario heading inside where his brother was sure to be whipping up something-or-other for their dinner tonight. Luigi was right where Mario thought he'd be inside of their cottage; slaving away in the kitchen with bowls full of Grambi-knows-what filling every available inch of counter space, utensils scattered about, and the man himself carefully stirring something boiling on the stove-top as he hummed a cheery tune to himself.

His little brother was definitely an odd one, Mario contemplated. It probably came with the role he'd been forced into since they were little. Mario knew he was the more outgoing of the two, and as Luigi's older brother he'd thought it his duty to put on a brave front for his little bro; to show him the ways of the world, as it were. But somewhere along the line he'd gotten off course—probably when they'd first been thrown into the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario had rescued the pretty Princess Peach for the first time. It was that moment when Mario had stopped being brave for his brother and started being brave for Peach that Luigi's life had really taken a turn for the worse.

He had been genuinely worried about his brother, as he'd confided in Peach on numerous occasions. It was her idea to call upon her 'darling friend' as Peach called her, in an effort to draw Luigi out of the shell he seemed content to hide inside. And just as he had with Peach, Luigi slowly warmed up to the adorable Sarasaland Princess, and for that Mario was grateful. His brother could use a companion in his life; especially since Mario wasn't planning on sticking around their tiny cottage forever. He wanted to get out and move on with his life, move on with his Princess, but before that could happen he had to be sure that Luigi was going to be alright on his own.

"Oh—Sweet Stars, Mario!" Luigi had caught a glimpse of his brother standing in the doorway to the kitchen, who had been spacing off long enough for it to be considered weird, and startled worse than Mario had when the delivery-Toad had tapped him on the arm. He didn't have much of an excuse at this point though; Luigi was hardly ever needed on rescue missions, and he preferred it that way, truth be told. His expertise was "guarding the home front as Toadsworth often called it.

"Sorry, bro," Mario grinned, obviously not sorry at all. Luigi fixed a frown on his face, still clutching the wooden spoon he'd been using to stir whatever he had on the stove to his chest, holding it like a precious weapon that he refused to let go. "Didn't mean to startle your maidenly sensibilities, but I figured you'd want this letter that came for you from Daisy." That caught his attention, and Luigi set the spoon down on the counter before picking up a stray towel and wiping his hands as he stepped closer to Mario.

"What would the Princess be sending _me_ mail for?" Luigi pondered out loud. Mario wasn't going to answer his musings, settling for a smack upside the head with Daisy's letter at his brother's lack of confidence. "Hey—I was just asking," Luigi snatched the letter out of Mario's hand, and sat at the small two person table in the corner of the tiny kitchen. Mario was quick to stand behind him, just as curious as Luigi as to what could be contained within the letter's depths.

"Hurry up," Mario demanded.

Luigi didn't reply; he was still observing the Princess' seal pressed into the bright orange wax used to enclose the letter within its envelope. It was a daisy, of course, with the Sarasaland crest affixed to the center of the flower. When Mario let out another impatient sigh he shook his head, carefully cutting the top of the envelope open with a knife left on the table from his earlier endeavors with cutting vegetables for their dinner. The envelope seemed entirely too extravagant for the little note it contained; with just a single slip of paper falling out into Luigi's open palm when he upturned its contents. Her handwriting was sloppy, so much so that it reminded Luigi of Mario's hardly-decipherable scrawl.

_Luigi,_

_As soon as you get this letter, meet me at Peach's castle. There is someone waiting at the rear gate to direct you further. _

_Daisy_

"She wants to meet you _now_?" Luigi had forgotten about Mario standing over his shoulder, and he quickly folded up the note and shoved it into the front pocket of his overalls.

"I guess so."

"Wonder why she didn't just come out here herself," Mario said, "Must've been too hot for her to make the trip." Luigi grunted his agreement, only half-listening to what his brother had to say on the matter. He was still thinking about why Daisy would want to meet with him anyway. And regardless of what Mario said, it wasn't because he was lacking in confidence—it was because Luigi was almost sure the Princess had some sort of ulterior motive. Rarely were Daisy's missives shorter than a page, and this one was hardly two sentences long—Luigi wasn't claiming to be an expert on women—and definitely not on _Daisy_, but she was clearly hiding something.

It was mostly curiosity about Daisy's motives that made him hand over his wooden spoon to Mario, instructing him on how to finish preparing their meal, before heading out on the long trek to Princess Peach's Castle.

By the time Luigi had arrived at the castle gates he was already drenched in sweat. The fact that he was wearing a t-shirt under his signature overalls and had jogged at a nearly breakneck pace the entire trip was probably doing nothing to help. The air was still dense with heat, although the sun was steadily growing lower in the sky. There couldn't have been more than a couple of hours of daylight left.

Luigi was growing more unsure of this prearranged meeting by the second, and was half-tempted to turn around and go back home when a Nokobon appeared out of the shadows along the high walls protecting the castle. From its appearance it was one of Princess Daisy's personal guards; uniformed head to toe in livery representative of Sarasaland's golden-toned colors, and the Sarasaland seal presented boldly on its chest.

"Princess Daisy is waiting for you in the gardens, Master Luigi," the Nokobon spoke, gesturing for Luigi to follow when it opened one of the large gates leading into the inner walls of the castle. The trek to the gardens wasn't long, since just beyond the rear gates of the castle was a winding path that led through the thick overgrowth of trees and plants to the small, circular gazebo where Daisy was no doubt waiting. Luigi was right—the Nokobon led him to the winding gravel path but didn't follow him down it, probably on Daisy's orders.

She was alone when he made it through the sun-drenched garden. Luigi had to shield his eyes from a sunbeam that struck him through the canopy of leaves overhead, blocking his view of the gazebo and the Princess inside it entirely. After a second his eyes adjusted to the bright light; and he could make out Daisy, who was sitting with her back to him at the small white table that was just big enough for two. The gazebo seemed worn, almost out of place, in Peach's lush garden. It almost seemed as if this structure had been here as long as the castle itself had been standing. It was made entirely of stone, each column intricately carved with careful precision—or, it had, at one point. The stonework now was worn down by the weather, still visible but nowhere near as beautiful as it once had been.

"Hello, Luigi," Daisy must have heard his approach; she turned in her chair, her bright auburn hair that was pulled back in a high ponytail catching on the sunlight as she did so. "I'm glad you could make it." She was pleased at his arrival, her blue eyes sparkling as she grinned at him. When he carefully climbed up the steps she rose to greet him properly. It was something so characteristic of royalty and yet so unfitting of _Daisy_ that Luigi found himself surprised at her action.

"Hi, Princess," He wasn't sure what else to say; it had been Daisy who called him all the way out here, asking him to a meeting in Princess Peach's unusually secluded gazebo hidden amongst the overgrown roses, not the other way around. Daisy could always be counted on to fill the silence between them, regardless of Luigi's awkward and shy behavior.

"Please, have a seat with me. Can I get you anything to drink?" Daisy all but shoved him into the small white chair across from hers, and he fought a wince at the cold hard metal. "I brought lemonade and tea; I wasn't sure which you preferred."

"Oh—Lemonade is fine with me, thank you," There was no indication of what she was plotting in that pretty little head of hers from the way she smiled and nodded, moving about the task of pouring him a large glass of iced lemonade. When she had set the glass firmly in front of him, her fingers laced together and settled on her lap. She watched with a careful eye as he took a sip and his face immediately puckered.

She burst into roars of laughter that Luigi couldn't help but narrow his eyes at. "You don't like it? Made it myself; it's Sarasaland's famous recipe."

"I—I see," Luigi sputtered.

"Don't worry, I didn't call you out here to test my cooking prowess—although… nah, you Mushroom Kingdom types are sissies. I'll have to toughen you up before you can handle Sarasaland's cuisine." When Luigi didn't answer with anything more than a scowl at her implication, Daisy grinned again and leaned closer, "I actually have a very important matter I'd like to discuss with you," Luigi raised an eyebrow, regarding her words carefully. "It has been brought to my attention recently that my father is… planning a marriage between myself and the Prince of the Beanbean Kingdom, Peasley."

The thought of Daisy settling down in marriage was unimaginable—regardless of Luigi's feelings for the Princess. She wasn't the sort to be happy confined in a castle. Even here in the Mushroom Kingdom she seemed distant and removed from the rest of them, always daydreaming about some far-off land that her father would no doubt never let her see. She didn't seem distraught over the idea of marrying Prince Peasley though; so perhaps she'd had a change of heart? It was a horrible thought—one Luigi wished he hadn't considered, and Daisy must have seen it on his face because she was quick to place a hand over one of his arms, which were crossed on the table in front of them.

"I can't marry Peasley_. I can't._ I need your help, Luigi. You're the only one I can trust with this. Will you… will you help me?"

For a brief, terrifying moment Luigi was sure she meant marriage. He sucked in a shaky breath, not sure yet what was going to come out of his mouth in response to that, other than _of course_ it would be Daisy who would propose marriage to him before he'd even worked up the nerve to ask her out to dinner. But she saved him the trouble—and some embarrassment—by interrupting him once again.

"I need to get out of the Mushroom Kingdom. I need to—well, run away."

She was strangely calm as she explained the details to him, telling him about the letters she'd been receiving from her father for the past two months; how he'd slowly been growing more and more desperate for her response and threatening to have her sent back to Sarasaland when she refused to acknowledge his attempts at correspondence. How she'd been working up a plan almost from day one to escape, finally, from her father's clutches and the chains that running a kingdom had shackled her with.

"But of course, I can't do any of this without you, Luigi." Daisy leaned forward in the tiny white chair, her blue eyes boring into his intently.

She was serious about this—and the idea that she wanted to run away actually frightened him more than if she'd wanted them to get hitched. Heck, at this point, he'd gladly take marriage over running off into the wilderness somewhere. Which, from the sounds of it, was exactly what Daisy had planned for the two of them.

He wondered if there was any way he could convince her to get married and avoid this conflict entirely. At least this way he wouldn't be faced with the full force of the Sarasaland's legendary army chasing him through the woods and back all because their princess had conned him into taking her out of the country.

Except King Sarasa was probably—okay, _definitely_ not as lenient with his daughter as King Toadstool was. Mario had it so easy with Princess Peach. King Sarasa would end up sending troops to arrest him regardless of whether or not he married Daisy.

There was just no winning with this girl.

"But, why _me_?" His voice was entirely too whiney for his own tastes, but it seemed to be his default response when it came to dealing with Daisy and that determined look that would glimmer in her eyes from time to time.

This was just like the time she'd forced him into spending the entire afternoon rigging the plumbing in the castle to fill Peach's bathtub with chocolate pudding all for the sake of pulling a joke on her fellow princess. Peach was furious about it at first, just as Luigi had thought she had every right to be, but as time wore on she was able to laugh about it now, at least.

Except this time it went just a little bit further than that joke had. She was asking him to give up his life here and go traipsing around the world with her to find out where she belonged. If Luigi had anything to say about the matter, which he _did_, if anyone—if Daisy—were willing to listen, he'd be telling the Princess that her place was right where King Sarasa seemed to think it was; the castle.

Of course she would never take his words into consideration; for as good of friends as Luigi and Daisy seemed to be, the Princess had a hard time getting anyone's ideas through her stubborn head but her own. Oh, she would smile and nod and act like she'd heard him out, but the second she was left alone again she'd drop all pretenses and pick up whatever plan she'd left off of in the first place. Luigi knew her well enough than to think anything less than that. And really, it wasn't her fault. It was a mechanism she'd picked up after years of dealing with her father, and old habits die hard, as they say.

"Why _you_, Luigi? Are you seriously asking me that question right now?" Daisy crossed her arms and leaned back far in her chair, watching Luigi with a wary eye. "You cannot honestly tell me you haven't wanted out of this place. Haven't you wanted more than living in that little shack with your brother, waiting for the day when Mario moves into the castle and marries Peachy like we both know will happen sooner or later—and then what?"

Her tone immediately set him on the defensive. "I have a mansion out in Boo Woods. I'm only staying here for Mario and Peach. If something happens—"

"If something happens, I'm sure Mario can handle it. Now why don't you tell me more about this mansion of yours? I'm not entirely familiar with the layout of the city beyond Toad City, but Boo Woods… sounds pretty remote. A place like that can't get much traffic, am I right?"


End file.
